Culture Database

[Thunderbrd]

Cool... made a note on the Axe Thrower.

Are you saying you've made cost adjustments somewhere?

 

[FlyingRainbow16]

yes in the arabian desert there are 4 main animals that can be hunted/tamed, horse, camel, Oryx and Gazelle, and while Oryx is an antelope a Gazelle is not (its in the same family as sheep and cow) not to mention the Bedouin used camels for almost everything and they mostly hunted gazelle, also sometime timelines are messed up (iceland i already mentioned ) and others really shouldn't be cultures (Sabbateans). In my estimation there are about 10-15% cultures with resources that don't make sense, 5-10% with timeline weirdness and about 5% who shouldn't exist, not to mention 20-30 repeats (Fuegian is an overarching group of which Alacalufe is part of) and 30-40 cultures that arent represented (Papal)

 

[Rmi]

Haven't touched any civ files. Any adjustments i made are in the database.
For example the 6power arsonist i gave a cost reduction of 25%. it's noted in the cost tags and in the math. I haven't changed the final cost because that is as things are now. I just made it red-ish.

 

[Rmi]

All metrics done in Unit database

 

[Rmi]

I have started changing the XML file: CulturulUnits

It's actually quite easy, anything i need to know i can find in some entry or another. I am just fixing some units so far, balancing them a little bit but i try to change as few things as possible.

When i'm done i'll send the file I WILL NOT UPDATE THE SVN myself.

Anyways,

There are some things i will not change without discussion/permission.

Portuguese carracks. These ships are Bâh-roken. They cheat oceanic settling by one-and-a-half era. I want to change them into something strong but not game breaking.

+1move, +1transport (for scouts), Navigation1 and maneuvering1

That's 3 promos and a base move extra. So you can bring your (homicidal maniacs) explorers around the world.

Can we change these?

 

[Rmi]

QUESTION:

How can i give units free promos that are NOT in the list in the file?

Do they exist in the code, but they simply have no shortcut? Or are they not there and thus unavailable till somebody does code them?

 

[Thunderbrd]

Portuguese carracks. These ships are Bâh-roken. They cheat oceanic settling by one-and-a-half era. I want to change them into something strong but not game breaking.

Not broken. Entirely by design. However, a project nearing will address this in a different manner.

 

[Thunderbrd]

QUESTION:

How can i give units free promos that are NOT in the list in the file?

Do they exist in the code, but they simply have no shortcut? Or are they not there and thus unavailable till somebody does code them?

What promotions are you finding references to that you cannot find in the XML? This should be impossible. The promos would have to be defined either in the core XML or in the modules.

 

[Rmi]

When i type in a S, i get a list and can pick from sentry etc.
I was searching for long arm and police but nothing popped up.

I don't know the correct TAGS for the promotions. I know Warmth means desert1 because i see it being used. If i can't see something already in use or in that tiny hint list i have no idea what i need to type.

 

[Thunderbrd]

When i type in a S, i get a list and can pick from sentry etc.
I was searching for long arm and police but nothing popped up.

I don't know the correct TAGS for the promotions. I know Warmth means desert1 because i see it being used. If i can't see something already in use or in that tiny hint list i have no idea what i need to type.

The TXT_KEY reference in the <Description> Tag connects the promotion to its in-game name. You can use wingrep to search for that TXT_KEY_WHATEVER in the XML/Text folder (or in modules just search through the game text file you see in the module). That will usually find you the file you need, and then open that file and search there for the TXT_KEY you're looking for.

Alternatively, you can look for the text, as written in the game, in the text folder and once you find the TXT_KEY reference, you can search for that in the promos file to find exactly which one it's referring to.

 

[Rmi]

Figured it out, thanks =)

 

[Rmi]

Here is what i got so far

The changes are in the database in bright green and slightly less bright green.

 

[Thunderbrd]

On the quechua, I like that it's going back in the direction of becoming a city attack unit, like it always was in the original vanilla. It needs to be given the city attack AI setting as well tho. Also classically they were anti-archery units. Having dropped the anti-melee by half, I'd suggest to increase the anti-archery a bit, even if it takes downgrading the anti-melee a little to justify it. And yeah, movement wasn't a factor for them so much. Removing commando makes a lot of sense too. Overall I like the adjustments there.

You seem to get the intention of first strike as exhibited by the changes made to the gaelic warrior. I agree there too. However, if you're taking away the classic hill defense promo, maybe give them some natural hill and maybe lesser mountain combat modifiers on the base unit?

I'm not going to review much further. I'll try to simply trust that the majority of these modifications are largely as rational. HOWEVER, while you are working to balance them now, consider that once the base units are rebalanced on a lot of factors to come in light of the combat mod and deeper overall game evaluations, many of these will need to be adapted afterwards again. For now, this is cool though, some improvements for v38 and mostly for game balance. It makes sense.

Don't be afraid to ask the intention of previous design decisions though.

I would like another modder to review this further. None in particular, anyone who has the time to review.

 

[Faustmouse]

Wasn't there the idea that cultural units should be basically normal units, but instead of certain bonuses they get free promotions to achieve uniqueness? The reason was that units that are upgraded from them would still have the advanced skill in whatever the promotion was.

 

[Rmi]

I made the units i've worked on to BE a core unit first and then have bonuses or adaptations.

Some units had minute detail changes, while good for flavor are just a bit odd and confusing. Those were things i easily missed too until i looked into the XML's.

I want all units to at least have some merit or situational finesse.
Some legendary units, the ones anyone knows from TV, can be a bit better like spartans or vikings.
Older units get less raw power than newer units.


I want a little bit less promos that stick forever, and a bit more boosts that you will loose with upgrading. Boosts can be a bit stronger then promos that way and it encourages you to play with them and enjoy the flavor.
I am limiting myself to the 25% increments for boosts and mostly basic promos.


If i break the 'idea' of the unit, please say so here, or in the database and i will look at it again.
I want the units to be historically accurate for the game, and i want to know why because i am a historian who 'digs that ****'.

 

[Thunderbrd]

Wasn't there the idea that cultural units should be basically normal units, but instead of certain bonuses they get free promotions to achieve uniqueness? The reason was that units that are upgraded from them would still have the advanced skill in whatever the promotion was.

That's one approach. It doesn't work as well in C2C as it did in vanilla because if the unit upgrades to something that doesn't qualify for that promo any more it will lose the promo anyhow.

I want a little bit less promos that stick forever, and a bit more boosts that you will loose with upgrading. Boosts can be a bit stronger then promos that way and it encourages you to play with them and enjoy the flavor.
I am limiting myself to the 25% increments for boosts and mostly basic promos.

Generally speaking, I like this approach as well.

 

[Rmi]

Update all units in this file. All changes are logged in the database in bright green. A v is a check that it was in the file and unchanged. (though i haven't many others either i just happened to write them down)
About half the units are in other files.
I intentionally skipped all Traders and Entertainers.

I know there are also a lot in ...\c2c\Assets\Modules\My_Mods\New_Cultures I'm going to work on those next.

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

Wasn't there the idea that cultural units should be basically normal units, but instead of certain bonuses they get free promotions to achieve uniqueness? The reason was that units that are upgraded from them would still have the advanced skill in whatever the promotion was.

There is the idea of a set of Cultural promotions instead of a unique unit but only if the upgrades can also get that promotion. I have done that for a couple of the unique workers. I turned the unit into a promotion that all workers could have instead. In all three cases so far this has been the ability to build a unique plot improvement.

 

[Rmi]

Halfway on my way in the next file.

I will still skip all Entertainers and Caravans.
There are some units that function differently like a strike team or ruffian but have no real equivalent. Those i have just skipped.

Now it's fridaynight beertime =)

 

[Rmi]

I'm working on the metrics of the cultures and i think we need to group the cultures on what they represent. Right now it's a mix of ethnicity, language groups, nation states and the odd biblical tribe.

There is no method whatsoever to what is 'culture' in our game. It makes it impossible for me to align a historical time with a historical unit on many cases.

I am going to group them into 3 (or more) categories.

• A cultural group by ethnicity, language or other.
• A historical power
• An established nation.
• OTHER

At some point, we can use these metrics with the 'ideas' project or anything. For now it's just data.

I'm not changing any code.