Trouble with multiple/"provincial" campaigns

[VltimaRatio]

I don't know if thread necromancy is allowed but I tried to follow this https://www.twcenter.net/forums/show...ial-campaigns) to add the early campaign as a provincial campaign to a Stainless Steel submod. I edited the menu.int file as I was told and the menu part shows up fine but it crashes when I start it. I placed the relevant files in data/world/maps/campaign/custom/early_campaign and changed the name in descr_strat accordingly. The folder seems to have what it needs, I checked the provincial campaigns in Tierra Santa and tried to use them as a model (to see if any file was missing) but it doesn't look like that should be the case. The last post in the thread is someone having the same issue but that was many years ago.

Does anyone know what could be wrong?

[Gigantus]

There are several custom text entries and files itself for a custom campaign. I have set up two basic provincial campaigns in Bare Geomod if you want to have a look. A quick look identifies the settlement\region name files and entries in campaign_descriptions. Additional entries maybe required in expanded, depending on new factions introduced, for that this guide might prove helpful. export_buildings if new buildings have been introduced in EDB etc.

[VltimaRatio]

Thanks. I checked and I had forgotten to make a copy of regions and settlement names with the early_campaign prefix. And the regions file didn't have the new religions added to it. But it still won't start, now it just sends me back to the screen where I select the custom campaigns- not sure if that's a step in the right direction or not.

I don't think there should be any difference between the factions in the campaigns. Do I need to copy EDB to somewhere special? Non of the new buildings are in descr_strat and I try to avoid removing entries cause it causes crashes.

[Gigantus]

Back to menu is almost always an issue with the descr_strat file and may also have a clear message in the log. Check the log for an [error] entry of that nature at the bottom part of the log.

[VltimaRatio]

The last entry is

22:15:28.365 [system.io] [info] exists: missing mods/SS6.3/preferences/player.txt

Neither bare_geomod or TSTW (which has working provincial campaigns) seems to have one either though. I found one in the Medieval 2/preferences through the virtual store alternative directory where missing filles are sometimes found (a blank file) and put it in and got

22:18:46.571 [system.io] [info] exists: found mods/SS6.3/preferences/player.txt (from: C:\Program Files (x86)\SEGA\Medieval II Total War)

instead

A google search shows a thread from on here saying it's not a proper error though, so I don't know.

[Gigantus]

BG uses the original name and destination for the log. Check here to sort out VS issues, from step 3 onward.

The EDB is always in the root - which means you need to amend it if you have new buildings in the campaign. And if you don't then you get the CTM because the descr_strat (new) building entries are invalid. But you said that won't be the case.

Underneath the log settings in BG, a hash sign means the entry after it isn't processed. Which means it is in trace mode which generates mile long, detailed logs.

[log] 
to = system.log.txt                    # path and name of log
level = * trace                        # detailed log
#level = * error                    # basic log

Have a look in SS's CFG file for that - then you will know where the log is.

[VltimaRatio]

The log seems to be in SS63/system log.txt, there is no hash sign in the config but a search for "error" did turn up one entry - 22:25:26.298 [script.err] [error] Script Error in mods/SS6.3/data/world/maps/campaign/custom/Early_Campaign/descr_strat.txt, at line 2320, column 12
could not create settlement at script line 2320.

Which is

settlement castle
{
level large_town
region Corinth_Province

year_founded 0
population 2700
plan_set default_set
faction_creator byzantium
building
{
type core_castle_building castle
}
building
{
type castle_barracks mustering_hall
}
building
{
type equestrian stables
}
building
{
type hinterland_castle_roads c_roads
}
building
{
type castle_port c_port
}
}

Nothing looks odd about the descr_strat entry to me though.

[Gigantus]

Right, the clue is in the wording: "could not create" - which means the settings in descr_strat are probably correct but could not be implemented.

The most common reason is that the settlement is on a invalid tile. You can check that by moving the black settlement pixel in map_regions and generating a new map by deleting map.rwm and starting the mod again. If th error message changes to include 'port' then the settlement placement should be valid but the white pixel of the port is still invalid.

[VltimaRatio]

Moving the settlement and generating the map again doesn't seem to do anything, the error message is the same.

[Gigantus]

Have you tried different placements?

[VltimaRatio]

Three or four different ones now. I can't see why there should be a problem with the map, it works when I run the early campaign as the default imperial campaign. It's very strange.

[Gigantus]

I am having deja vu - move the settlement down a few slots in descr_strat and see if the error still exists. I am having a notion that this time it might the settlement that moved into it's slot. And that's were stuff then gets interesting, I have to really dig deep to come up how that gets fixed.

[VltimaRatio]

I tried moving it to two different places in the byzantium settlement list, both times I get the same error pointing to the new line in the file where Corinth is located.

[Gigantus]

So thankfully it's not some weird format issue of descr_strat, but that entry itself.

Let's do something extreme: remove the settlement's entry completely (copy the entry somewhere as backup), do the usual map.rwm delete. The game should create a village with nothing in it and give it to the slave faction. If it still crashes then it's definitely that pixel placement. If not then it's something in the settlement details.

[VltimaRatio]

I removed the entry and now the error I get is:

19:43:20.564 [script.err] [error] Script Error in mods/SS6.3/data/world/maps/campaign/custom/Early_Campaign/descr_strat.txt, at line 5067, column 1
The character record !DO NOT TRANSLATE! PLAYER SHOULD NOT SEE THIS! is set as faction heir but is not in the family tree.

also things like this

19:43:20.565 [system.io] [info] exists: missing mods/SS6.3/data/ui/middle_eastern/portraits/portraits/old/zoroastrian_generals/154.tga
19:43:20.565 [system.io] [info] exists: missing data/ui/middle_eastern/portraits/portraits/old/zoroastrian_generals/154.tga

I never had an issue with missing portraits for religions when I maxed out the slots in the late imperial campaign, not sure if that should be a problem.

The line in DS refers to the Kwarezmians. The characters:

character Qudbaddin Mohammed, named character, male, leader, age 59, x 505, y 147 ;Khiva
traits Factionleader 1 , MilitaryInclination 1 , NaturalMilitarySkill 1 , PublicFaith 1 , Loyal 2 , GoodCavalryGeneral 1 , ReligionStarter 1
ancillaries foodtaster
army
unit ME Bodyguard exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit ME Spear Militia exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit ME Archer Militia exp 1 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit Turkomans exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

character Atsiz Mohammed, named character, male, heir, age 30, x 500, y 154 ;Urgench
traits Factionheir 1 , LoyaltyStarter 1 , MilitaryInclination 1 , GoodCommander 1 , NaturalMilitarySkill 1 , PublicFaith 2 , Intelligent 1 , ReligionStarter 1
army
unit ME Bodyguard exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit ME Archer Militia exp 2 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0
unit ME Spear Militia exp 0 armour 0 weapon_lvl 0

(...)

character_record Melek, female, age 53, dead 2, never_a_leader
character_record Huma, female, age 26, alive, never_a_leader
character_record Il-Arslan, male, age 5, alive, never_a_leader

relative Qudbaddin Mohammed, Melek, Atsiz Mohammed, Inal-Tegin Mohammed, end
relative Atsiz Mohammed, Huma, Il-Arslan, end

It's strange these problems should appear here but not in the early campaign running as default.

Is it just a missing name localisation thing?

[Gigantus]

I rejoiced too early, but more later.

Portraits - not an error. Looking at the name of the directory it looks in for the portrait I am assuming there is a religion named like that - you can arrange portraits like that to force the game to use portraits based on religion. It's a bit esoteric and only of use if you script a religion change, I describe it in my tutorial.

The '!DO NOT TRANSLATE! PLAYER SHOULD NOT SEE THIS!' instead of a character name points to some weird issue here - that text only exists in export_buildings and possibly in export_units. The heir message usually appears if you do not assign a heir and the character below the leader. Less often is the possibility that he is assigned but is not listed in the family tree. Neither is the case here.

Which leads me to believe that somewhere in descr_strat is a hidden format error. Let me have the descr_strat file as is when the above error happened, together with the log and I'll have a look.

[VltimaRatio]

If the D_S is as unforgiving as the modeldb file an invisible extra space could have messed it up, but I can't see how the file should have gotten corrupted when it works as the default campaign.

Thanks for the assistance though, it's really appreciated.

Edit -

I just realised Corinth is replaced with Mystras in the late campaign that's currently the "main" one, and named Mystras_province in descr_strat as opposed to just being localised to a new name in the text file. Might be the root of that issue, but the relevant files are in the custom campaign folder so I'm not sure how exactly it all interacts.

[Gigantus]

The log you have send me hasn't got any error except the false positives from Germanicu's battle script.

Line 5067 in DS is indeed the faction start for kwarezm, but I haven't been able to find any formatting issue.

The names for settlements and regions are in the data\text folder of the mod, each campaign's file has the prefix of it's folder followed by the usual regions_and_settlement_names. If there is an issue with entries there you end up with 'cannot find settlement name in data base' or something to that effect

descr_strat is most likely the most forgiving file of the lot, missing comma, TAB instead of SPACE - you get away in most cases.

[VltimaRatio]

I see. I did manage to get a cloned late campaign working as a provincial early campaign, but I will have to manually change all the descr_strat details, and the events like the early/high/late things (I also want to do a late campaign starting in 1350). At least it doesn't crash this way.

[Gigantus]

Using a template when things don't work out is often the best way to get things rolling. The sole reason why my Bare Geomod setup exists. It includes two base provincial campaigns as well.