Hegemon
- Thread starter Rambuchan
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Rambuchan
The Funky President
I fixed that ages ago. It won't be a problem in the upgrade. And your previous comment about the F10 Hegemonic Struggle / Fealty Progress screen was also dealt with some time ago. Vuldacon and I have made a completely new screen for this, with some witty sound effects to boot. It works like a dream.
Anyway, I'm just jumping on to say:
- My house move is now pretty much done and, as of today, I'm finally back on the internet. Wooohooo!
- I'm pretty shattered from it all and there's still a lot of unpacking and furniture building to do. So it'll take me a while to finish off the changes still to be made on the upgrade before releasing it. All that remains to do is: (a) The animation film that plays on achieving the Hegemonic Victory and (b) A truckload of pedia writing. I've done plenty already, in full detail and all in character, of course. But there are sooo many things that need writing about...
- Thanks for all the comments and feedback. Very much appreciated indeed. I will get round to responding to them all in the next few days. Do keep posting thoughts and suggestions and game reports. I am making tweaks in the biq based on what you guys are posting.
EDIT: In fact, given that there are so many new buildings and wonders and units, does anyone care to volunteer for writing some of the civilopedia description entries? I'll happily do it with them so they get into style and so on.
...In essence, you guys will LOVE This Game after the Update.
To paraphrase Rambuchan..."My Words", There has been much addressed, changed and Improved for this game and certainly all comments and thoughts have been greatly appreciated.
Please keep in mind that many things that you have experienced and are commenting about have been addressed and are no longer any issue.
That said, because you do not know the changes, it is still beneficial to hear what your opinions are for what you experience in the game.
Rambuchan is busy with some Very important Life events but make no mistake about it... he is taking all that has been reported/posted and I am certain you all will approve of the End Result.
To paraphrase Rambuchan..."My Words", There has been much addressed, changed and Improved for this game and certainly all comments and thoughts have been greatly appreciated.
Please keep in mind that many things that you have experienced and are commenting about have been addressed and are no longer any issue.
That said, because you do not know the changes, it is still beneficial to hear what your opinions are for what you experience in the game.
Rambuchan is busy with some Very important Life events but make no mistake about it... he is taking all that has been reported/posted and I am certain you all will approve of the End Result.
What, I don't already love this game?
The only problem is that, as with many other civ scenarios, the rendering of each single unit's movement makes the AI's turns take LONG unless I hold down Shift. This is because the AI doesn't move in stacks, it just moves thirty Triremes one by one over the exact same route over and over (never mind that those thirty triremes carry a Gymnitos, an Akonistes and a Cimmerian or a simialr force) and causes player brains to asplode.
The only problem is that, as with many other civ scenarios, the rendering of each single unit's movement makes the AI's turns take LONG unless I hold down Shift. This is because the AI doesn't move in stacks, it just moves thirty Triremes one by one over the exact same route over and over (never mind that those thirty triremes carry a Gymnitos, an Akonistes and a Cimmerian or a simialr force) and causes player brains to asplode.
Sasebo
Prince
I will agree with iPwn to a point, at least in regards to Troia; I do want to say though, that my Troia game was not a typical one I think. Aiolia making a bee-line for the river mouth east of me, and then getting taken out almost without a fight by Lydia, putting them right on my doorstep and in a position of power is not typical, and I had BAD combat luck on top of things. I had planned to start a pre-emptive war with Lydia just to keep them in check, and even with the bad + early starting positions, I had a little go my way until the RNG decided to horsewhip me. Troia was certainly tough, you have to work hard to get even second tier tech parity, but I never felt I was out of it until the Lydian war unraveled on me. The only real problem I had that iPwn mentioned is the strategic resources. Some of the civs in Asia Minor are in really bad shape in that regard. Just getting bronze and lumber for even minor military upgrades and ships is really hard for Troia, unless you get extremely lucky and someone has them for trade early(not likely). Perhaps you might want to take another look at the Strat. resource situation there? It's not the total numbers that are off, it's early availablilty that is the issue. Compare Ionia with Troia & Karia, and I think you will see what I mean. Even when they are able to stretch east and pick up what they need, they just end up with a long thin nation, that Lydia can cut up fairly easily. Though in my Athens game they did seem to put up a surprising amount of resistance.
Combined with my current game as Thessalia, it seems pretty clear that if you want to do well with a minor power,you are going to have to warmonger all the way. Just to get lumber for ships and horses, I've had to make near unending war with Phokis. I'm doing Ok for now, but when the larger powers get their hoplites up and running, I am going to be hard put to it to hold on to what I have I think. We'll see.
iPwn is wrong about Athens though. You can see by his report he was able to blitz Sparte, whick is very impressive, but not easily done. Sparte has been a beast in all of my games so far. Even in my Athens game where I was doing well, I made sure not to poke the sleeping Dragons!
It's worse because I hold lots of small islands and watch the Lydoi sail past all the time. The ratio of units watched-to-terrain is much higher with such countries than if I were any land power.Takhisis... that has always been true... I hold the Shift Key when it is the AIs turn on all games too
My observations about Sparta - they do nothing productive, just build wonders. AI plays horrible with them - unlike Lydia. I think removing their marble might be a good idea, probably they would build settlers, workers and military instead of wonders. And I have played with Athens, so I do not understand, why am I wrong... they clearly are one of the strongest. You have your uber 30 shield logchophoros (?). Athens can build one every turn. Stop building settlers early. Pillage bronze near Thebes - if it is even connected. OK, they are history. Now you have like 12 towns, Sparta has their usual 6-7. Waste Phokis. Athens have like 20 towns, Sparta still only 6-7. You can kill them or ignore them, but no doubt you are much stronger. How can they possibly be a problem. Also - their only contacts are Corinth, Elis, Messenia, Mykenai and Argos, that slows down their research a lot.
If you're Athens and want to make a land grab instead of the island grab that I've been doing in my game I suggest you go for Korynthos straight away, if you garrison it adequately it's a tremendous bottleneck against invaders from the Peloponessos and you can chase them easily as there's mountains all around, they can't flee. Also, you can block the growth of Argos and Mykenai right away.
Rambuchan
The Funky President
The thing to remember about the way Troia, Karia and Sparte play is that this is an historical scenario.
I spent many many hours test playing and tweaking the AI to behave in the way these civs did in history. So I'll just lay out some of the history and rationale behind the design. I hope it'll explain why they play the way they do, as has been observed recently, and why I'm unlikely to change it.
Troia - These guys were on their way out by the scenario's start date. After 1200-1100 BC (roughly when the Trojan War happened, I'm not sure historians are able to agree when it was) they simply were no longer players in Asia Minor or the Aegean. This is why they have a much harder time mustering good troops and accessing decent resources. It is possible to achieve something with them, but it's mighty mighty difficult. Having it any other way would simply be ahistorical.
Karia - Similarly, the Karians very much had their day in the sun well before the scenario's start date. Thucydides was of the opinion that they were the main colonisers of and players in the Aegean Islands before King Minos raised his navy and drove them out. He supports this when he records that when the Athenians 'purged' the holy island of Delos, exhuming the graves, a very large amount of them were found to be filled with Karian weapons and artefacts. And it is right that they get gobbled up by Lydia with ease. That's what happened and Karians had to serve in the Lydian army. Again, it is possible to hang in there with them and make a glorious city of Halicarnassus, but it's difficult. King Mausolos, of the famous Mausoleum, had a tough time of it and that's why he spent considerable resources on making his new capital more easily defendable, by sea and land. It was, in my opinion, something or a retreat and retrench - with a considerable dash of bling.
Sparte - I don't have a problem with them being a power house that just sits and builds wonders to awe the rest of the Greek world. That's largely what they did (though these were more cultural wonders than great buildings). Denying them marble would deny them those Olympian Temples to the Gods and that wouldn't quite be right because the Spartans were very religious indeed, often putting off military campaigns because there was some religious festival to be observed. As for the Spartan AI not building a wide reaching empire, I'm ok with that too. The ephors were famously conservative and Spartans very much identified themselves in opposition to the empire building Athenians. The first third of Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War spends much time detailing how the likes of Corinth had to lobby and lobby Sparta hard to get them to engage in a war with Athens. The ephors and other authorities were very reluctant to do so. They liked to have nearby campaigns and then go back home quickly. Far flung endeavours weren't much to their liking and indeed they thought doing such things were wrong, both morally and in a practical / pragmatic sense too. However, in the scenario, as in history, when they are engaged into an alliance they can roll out their significant military forces and take them up north (as Brasidas did to liberate Athenian 'allies') or into Boeotia or Attica to wreak havok. The AI does all this and it took a long time achieving it.
The comment about Diarchy is interesting. I'm open to suggestions for tweaking it. Perhaps dropping the military support slightly.
I spent many many hours test playing and tweaking the AI to behave in the way these civs did in history. So I'll just lay out some of the history and rationale behind the design. I hope it'll explain why they play the way they do, as has been observed recently, and why I'm unlikely to change it.
Troia - These guys were on their way out by the scenario's start date. After 1200-1100 BC (roughly when the Trojan War happened, I'm not sure historians are able to agree when it was) they simply were no longer players in Asia Minor or the Aegean. This is why they have a much harder time mustering good troops and accessing decent resources. It is possible to achieve something with them, but it's mighty mighty difficult. Having it any other way would simply be ahistorical.
Karia - Similarly, the Karians very much had their day in the sun well before the scenario's start date. Thucydides was of the opinion that they were the main colonisers of and players in the Aegean Islands before King Minos raised his navy and drove them out. He supports this when he records that when the Athenians 'purged' the holy island of Delos, exhuming the graves, a very large amount of them were found to be filled with Karian weapons and artefacts. And it is right that they get gobbled up by Lydia with ease. That's what happened and Karians had to serve in the Lydian army. Again, it is possible to hang in there with them and make a glorious city of Halicarnassus, but it's difficult. King Mausolos, of the famous Mausoleum, had a tough time of it and that's why he spent considerable resources on making his new capital more easily defendable, by sea and land. It was, in my opinion, something or a retreat and retrench - with a considerable dash of bling.
Sparte - I don't have a problem with them being a power house that just sits and builds wonders to awe the rest of the Greek world. That's largely what they did (though these were more cultural wonders than great buildings). Denying them marble would deny them those Olympian Temples to the Gods and that wouldn't quite be right because the Spartans were very religious indeed, often putting off military campaigns because there was some religious festival to be observed. As for the Spartan AI not building a wide reaching empire, I'm ok with that too. The ephors were famously conservative and Spartans very much identified themselves in opposition to the empire building Athenians. The first third of Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War spends much time detailing how the likes of Corinth had to lobby and lobby Sparta hard to get them to engage in a war with Athens. The ephors and other authorities were very reluctant to do so. They liked to have nearby campaigns and then go back home quickly. Far flung endeavours weren't much to their liking and indeed they thought doing such things were wrong, both morally and in a practical / pragmatic sense too. However, in the scenario, as in history, when they are engaged into an alliance they can roll out their significant military forces and take them up north (as Brasidas did to liberate Athenian 'allies') or into Boeotia or Attica to wreak havok. The AI does all this and it took a long time achieving it.
The comment about Diarchy is interesting. I'm open to suggestions for tweaking it. Perhaps dropping the military support slightly.
Rambuchan
The Funky President
Cool. I'm glad I've helped clarify things. Of course, what I've said applies to all civs. They're all in their repsective historical contexts and capacities. You won't be able to win with all of them and neither will the AI. That's history for you!Ok this makes sense. If we look at it like that, only Macedonian desperate attempts to stay small and irrelevant seem oddScenario is totally awesome, what surprises me is that you are even planning an update.
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okemah - I have to confess I'm a bit stumped as to why you're getting that error message. I do know from reading your error message that you've either been tinkering with the files, or you've moved files and/or folders. It wouldn't have crashed otherwise.
Did you get this error message mid game while playing, or when loading up a save game after a break? I bet it's the latter. There is no reason why you would get such a message mid game.
Given your error message, which is quite generic, I don't think you'll find such a problem in the pediaicons.txt file. It's just a slave to the biq and general game engine, after all, but I can't think why the game is trying to find something that is just called "_LARGE". There are so many of those. So I'm guessing that you, or something, has moved the files and folders.
I think there are two options open to you:
1) You wait for someone else who has a better idea than me to post a solution.
2) You remember what it is you did that may have changed file paths or placement of files and folders and put it back to how it was. Then reload your game.
Sorry I can't be more help. I know your game must be hotting up as it's 730BC. I hope you can remember what you changed or that someone else can be of more help. Anyone?
Sasebo
Prince
When you get that sort of error message, it gives you the complete path, though the problem is usually the "file within a file" type as you say. Since the path in question is just "_LARGE" though, doesn't that look like a mis-named file to you Rambuchan?
Edit: Well, the pediaicons file is just a text file, so you are probably right Ram. Okemah, you do have these files in the conquests folder and not the scenario folder, yes?
Oh and Rambuchan, if you want me to help with some of those pedia entries I have some free time. I've never edited any pedia entries before, but always wanted to know how, this would be a good opportunity! I've looked at the files and edited BIQ files a lot though, so I have an idea of where things are. Send me a PM if you want.
Rambuchan
The Funky President
Sasebo - Thanks for coming back so quickly on this. Very good of you. I've said all I can think of on the problem okemah is encountering. It's clearly not something anyone else has encountered, so there must have been some tinkering and changing happening on his/her end.
In terms of pedia entries help and editing: That would be great! I'd like to think I'd be able to do it all but it just takes so damn long with so many things to write about. I can do them all myself but that would simply mean a longer wait for the upgrade's release. So help would be most welcome by all awaiting the upgrade.
The editing of these is actually very easy. All it takes is (a) doing some research on the subject and making notes in some kind of word software (microsoft word or even wordpad is fine), making sure that the info is accurate. Of course, if you can read the two primary sources for this scenario - Herodotus's Histories and Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War - that'd be great and just one more person reading these very fine works of literature and early attempts at creating what we now know as 'history' would make me very happy, but wiki and other sources is fine, (b) pasting that into the civilopedia.txt file, which I can do as I've got the master for the upgrade and (c) adding the necessary characters to make the in-game text bold, italic etc and making sure it all fits into the allowed space within the game. Again, as I've got the master for upgrade I can do this. If you're interested in a little tutorial I can give you one on the areas you're not sure about via PM.
The bits I have NOT found time to write entries for and need help with are mainly the new Colony Wonders. These are:
Rhegion / Rhegium
Naksos (in Sicily)
Syracuse
Corcyra
Kyrene
Hyele
Massalia
Emporion
Pantikapaion
Trapezous
Phasis
The others that I haven't found time to write for are the unique wonders for each civ. There are of course 31 of these, so that's going to take some time too!
So any historical info you can dig out and write on these with the style guidance I've outlined below would be greaty appreciated. If you send it to me via PM, or post it here, I can 'Herodotise' it and add it to the civilopedia.txt file and will of course give you a well earned credit for.
Style guide: I'm particularly interested in the kind of info that names particular individuals, with their genealogy mentioned (eg. Sasebo, son of Rambuchan of Halicarnassus), prophecies, curious and marvellous tales, lists of things (like numbers of ships and who contributed them and how much they cost) and so on. No need to bust your balls on these fineries, the general historical facts are fine, but these details are the things that Herodotus liked to mention.
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Takhisis - Did you ever write anything on Diarchy after your reading? If so, please do the same. I looked at what I wrote previously and, frankly, it isn't up to scratch. So any historical and curious info with a focus on what I've mentioned above that you can dig out and write would be added with thanks. I've dealt with most else.
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EDIT: Here is just one example from the new entries I've written:
Argos Tribes entry:
In terms of pedia entries help and editing: That would be great! I'd like to think I'd be able to do it all but it just takes so damn long with so many things to write about. I can do them all myself but that would simply mean a longer wait for the upgrade's release. So help would be most welcome by all awaiting the upgrade.
The editing of these is actually very easy. All it takes is (a) doing some research on the subject and making notes in some kind of word software (microsoft word or even wordpad is fine), making sure that the info is accurate. Of course, if you can read the two primary sources for this scenario - Herodotus's Histories and Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War - that'd be great and just one more person reading these very fine works of literature and early attempts at creating what we now know as 'history' would make me very happy, but wiki and other sources is fine, (b) pasting that into the civilopedia.txt file, which I can do as I've got the master for the upgrade and (c) adding the necessary characters to make the in-game text bold, italic etc and making sure it all fits into the allowed space within the game. Again, as I've got the master for upgrade I can do this. If you're interested in a little tutorial I can give you one on the areas you're not sure about via PM.
The bits I have NOT found time to write entries for and need help with are mainly the new Colony Wonders. These are:
Rhegion / Rhegium
Naksos (in Sicily)
Syracuse
Corcyra
Kyrene
Hyele
Massalia
Emporion
Pantikapaion
Trapezous
Phasis
The others that I haven't found time to write for are the unique wonders for each civ. There are of course 31 of these, so that's going to take some time too!
So any historical info you can dig out and write on these with the style guidance I've outlined below would be greaty appreciated. If you send it to me via PM, or post it here, I can 'Herodotise' it and add it to the civilopedia.txt file and will of course give you a well earned credit for.
Style guide: I'm particularly interested in the kind of info that names particular individuals, with their genealogy mentioned (eg. Sasebo, son of Rambuchan of Halicarnassus), prophecies, curious and marvellous tales, lists of things (like numbers of ships and who contributed them and how much they cost) and so on. No need to bust your balls on these fineries, the general historical facts are fine, but these details are the things that Herodotus liked to mention.
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Takhisis - Did you ever write anything on Diarchy after your reading? If so, please do the same. I looked at what I wrote previously and, frankly, it isn't up to scratch. So any historical and curious info with a focus on what I've mentioned above that you can dig out and write would be added with thanks. I've dealt with most else.
---
EDIT: Here is just one example from the new entries I've written:
Argos Tribes entry:
Spoiler :
Well, I can try. What are the word/character limits for the first page (shorter) and the second one? I remember most of 'pedia formatting but not the limits.
{} for bold, I remember the links, [] for italics, easy-peasy, lemon-sequeezy.
P.S. check your inbox, I have something else for you!
{} for bold, I remember the links, [] for italics, easy-peasy, lemon-sequeezy.
P.S. check your inbox, I have something else for you!
The solution to Sparta is doing what Corinth did: always make sure they're fighting someone else, keep the land borders at which they can attack you as short as possible and, since their ships are very slow and you can see them coming, patrol with Imperial/Navarch Triremes wherever possible. If you have nothing worthwhile to build then build another Hoplite or Thorakites. The 12.4.2 Thureophoros is also great for counterattacking and/or making sallies, Champions are great for picking off some of those units with very high attack but low defense Sparte tends to field.
Also, Diarchy gets positively dangerous as Illyria and Aetolia use it as well as sparte and EVERY part of their territory becomes a unit-spamming place.
Spoiler :
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