The Town and Castle RozMod for SS6.3 Beta released

[Gorrrrrn]

The Town and Castle Roz Mod for Stainless Steel 6.3

The First Beta of the Towns and Castles RozMod is available from Filefront here:

http://www.filefront.com/17670583/RozModTandC1100.zip

Due to some simple errors on my part there's a patch needed - install when you start a new campaign

Attachment 129794

replacement descr_regions and descr_strat
replacement export_ancillaries.txt
two replacement ancillary graphix.
descr_mercenaries updated with revised costs

more when they get found and fixed.


So what does the Town and Castle Roz Mod currently consist of:

Features

2 turns per year as standard, with adjusted recruitment replenishment rates, but the same recruitment times in turns. In addition there are approximately 160 permanent forts on the campaign map, in carefully chosen sites to maximise their effectiveness without hindering game play. These forts currently use 22 different designs. A selection of ambient buildings have been developed to allow for placement on the campaign map and battle maps, but no progress has been to further integrate them into the game yet. 5 new buildings are already developed for settlements – 4 government buildings which give both local bonuses and (for the AI) faction wide bonuses, plus a new rocket workshop for the Mongols, which allows the cannon buildings to be delayed until cannons could historically be made. (Alltowns also has 2 new buildings added - diplomat school and diplomat college for recruiting more experienced diplomats, spies and assassins.) Expanded descr_campaign_db.xml which includes all the Kingdoms options. Descr_settlement_mechanics.xml adjusted to 2 TPY. The Roz Mod had an early era campaign_script which includes scripts to disband AI crusade / jihad units after the crusade / jihad ends; a script to disband generic mercenary units from AI Factions if they are getting short of cash. Plus re-written faction emergent scripts. Plagues have been re-introduced for major cities. Removed: Venetian Crusade to Byzantium; Fall of capitals event notifications; other scripts that add little to the playability of the game. Hanseatic League HQ now only available after the league has been founded. Certain textual items have been rendered into English. Some names have been adjusted, and the “of Bulgaria” surname for heretics etc removed. The Beta release now has the beta revised "Historically Accurate" (or thereabouts) start position for 1100AD descr_strat. The new faction start maps by Meneth have been included. To whom thanks. New strat positions are now included plus revised Russian map by Ceasar Clivus. The Roz Mod includes various minor adjustments, fixes and improvements.

Possible additional features

These include: More role-playing elements for human players, including special horse dealers from which you can buy horses for characters; herbalists from whom you can obtain various potions; monasteries and holy shrines for spiritual development; universities to obtain further education and so forth. These will be in addition to what the AI gets just by being places. Human players will need to be more pro-active in developing their characters. Further refinements to the economic side of the game are being considered. A range of “domestic” buildings for settlements has been proposed to add buildings that give economic and other benefits to both the human player and the AI Factions. A garrison script is already being prepared, along with 9 garrison specific units that will take the place of unnecessary units in the EDU. The EDB will need totally reworking. It will be simplified with units either being home region, home region plus restricted outside home region, local mercenaries, generic mercenaries. The last two will be available to all factions. Each faction will have its own line in the EDB for each unit at each level of barracks, stables etc. There will only be 1 rate of availability – the same throughout the period it is available. A script can then be written to prevent the AI factions from recruiting certain categories of units if it has insufficient money for them. (Upkeep costs for units will need to monitored to enable the AI to build some units!!) The very best units will only be available from large and huge cities with the capital hidden_resource. Recruitment times may be increased in line with the 2 turn per year format, with a minimum of 2 turns per unit. Equally replenishment rates may be cut further. The Roz Mod is always open to improvements in the BAI and the CAI. These are not elements that have had any attention in the Mod so far, but suggestions for tweaking the basic BAI and CAI are always welcome, and players can, of course, always try out alternatives to the ones provided by Stainless Steel 6.3. The Roz Mod will happily host any other mods that add to the game. To keep the Roz Mod at a reasonable size, these will not necessarily be incorporated into the Mod, but available as additional add-ons at players discretion. (Although during development, any really good ideas etc may be used if permission is granted.) Throughout the development of the mod it will attempt to balance the desire to make the game reasonably historically “realistic”, whilst retaining essential playability. Equally the need to keep the game interesting and challenging will be balanced with the removal of unnecessary features that add little to the enjoyment of the game.

Situations Vacant:

I'm not a big fan of grandiose job titles and positions. Basically anyone is welcome to suggest improvements or mod this mod in any way they like. If anyone would like to assist in the development of the mod, whether you have some so before or not, please contact me. I'm still learning how to do a lot of this stuff, and my old hands can't type as much as they used to! So if you can assist on the following it would be appreciated: Testing major changes – I'll decide when each major version is ready to go, but will release as a beta test version for any one to try out. The mod will be in continual development until there's nobody left who cares to do anything to it. Doing the garrison units. The relevant thread has identified which units we should clone and make into garrison units. They need to be made available to all factions – one could see them as generic mercenaries for that purpose perhaps? The script should be easy enough to do – I'm working on it already, but delayed whilst changes to the EDU are still being discussed. Developing some location specific battle maps using the battle editor, maybe a ruined Roman city, or deserted town. (Note these cannot take the place of existing settlements apparently, but have to be unique locations.) Keep an eye out for interesting ideas we can borrow from elsewhere! Nothing in this mod is totally original. Although possibly the combination is. Equally others are free to borrow any of the ideas developed here. Further ideas etc as they occur to me!

Roz

If you want to try them out PLEASE make a backup of your working Stainless Steel 6.3 folder, rename it to original SS6.3 folder. Install RozMod into the SS6.3 folder.

The current version is Beta Release.

Note if you use the sub-mod installer that's up to you. The RozMod is not compatible with it.
If you run the fixes on the vanilla SS6.3 and then install the RozMod it is possible the RozMod will over-write some of the files. This may undo the work the fixes have done.
Don't expect me to go through all the RozMod files and check every time a new version of the fixes are issued.
(Although I do appreciate all the hard work people are doing to find and implement fixes. !!)

RozMod is for the vanilla SS6.3. and requires M2TW / Kingdoms 1.05 patch.

If you have Windows 7 or Vista you'll need to turn off UAC

Once you have the basic SS6.3 up and running you need to:

1) remove map.rwm from the maps/base folder.

2) remove the following *.txt.string.bin files from the data/text folder:

export_ancillaries.txt.string.bin
export_buildings.txt.string.bin
export_units.txt.string.bin
imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlements.txt.string.bin
names.txt.string.bin

to allow the game engine to rebuild new versions.

remove the read-only attribute to the SS6.3 folder so that the files in the zip folder can be extracted into the SS6.3 folder.

-------------------------------
If you want the Alltowns RozMod you can find it here:

The alltowns beta 0.2 is now available for download from filefront:
http://www.filefront.com/17649261/alltowns02.zip

[Morfans]

Once gracul has finished putting the finishing touches to Stainless Steel 6.3, and the beta testers have given it the thumbs up, work will begin on bringing the Roz Mod, as developed for the Real Combat / Real Recruitment Oct 30th edition, to the main version of Stainless Steel 6.3, a s a stand-alone mod.

A very much needed one

[Fair Prince]

I agree with Morfans, the Roz Mod will be an excellent addition to SS

I'm also planning to release my SSHCP mod based on Roz's work as well, provided he doesn't mind it

[LethaL]

It will be only for the Early Era campaign like RR\RC version, right??

[Gorrrrrn]

I'm also planning to release my SSHCP mod based on Roz's work as well, provided he doesn't mind it

no problems!

It will be only for the Early Era campaign like RR\RC version, right??

Initially yes - but if we can get it all up and running for the early era to peoples' satisfaction, then other campaigns can be attempted.
I'm not sure what other campaigns will be in the final SS6.3 so it's difficult to say how hard or easy it would be to implement the RozMod on them.

If people want to use elements of the Rozmod on other campaigns that's fine. not all the features appeal to everyone.

Who knows, someone might be able to combine Byg's GRIV with the Rozmod.

[y2day]

Very ambitious Roz. and I have no doubt you will pull it off. I look forward to this one.

y

[Trinity]

Roz you have the two things I love in this mod, 2TPY and Role play. I can't wait to try this mod when it comes out.

[Longstreet]

Impressive.

"In addition there are approximately 160 permanent forts on the campaign map, in carefully chosen sites to maximise their effectiveness without hindering game play. These forts currently use 22 different designs.

A selection of ambient buildings have been developed to allow for placement on the campaign map and battle maps, but no progress has been to further integrate them into the game yet."

Cannot wait to see these.

[akarivn]

Impressive.

"In addition there are approximately 160 permanent forts on the campaign map, in carefully chosen sites to maximise their effectiveness without hindering game play. These forts currently use 22 different designs.

A selection of ambient buildings have been developed to allow for placement on the campaign map and battle maps, but no progress has been to further integrate them into the game yet."

Cannot wait to see these.

Totally agree with you.

Forts on campaign map will give us new strategic options.

Really cool!

[Lord Lancelot]

It wold be great if Ireland will be gived back

[bɑne]

It wold be great if Ireland will be gived back

From what I remember ai controlled ireland would basicly sit around on their island the whole time without influencing the game much. At least they never did in my games. Leaving historical arguments aside and add to this that for Ireland to return you had to kick out another faction it doesn't look good. Maybe as an additional 6.3 submod if anyone feels up to it.

[Grouchio]

6.3?!? WOOOOOOOOO~

[Gorrrrrn]

I won't be changing any of the factions for the Mod.
6.3 is what I expect gracul will call the the next major SS version.
no idea when it will be released.
Having tested the Mod (the RC/RR version with 6.2 RC4) Ireland is totally ignored by all the factions played by the AI -they simply don't go there.
(It's probably a corner thing.)
Although if playing multiplayer / hotseat and you drop into a faction to see what's going on, you'll often get a mission to capture or blockade Dublin if you're England or norway or Scotland.
So the game knows Ireland is there, it just doesn't value it high enough to go there left to its own devices.
(once the English have captured Dublin the AI will get on and capture the rest of the island eventually.)

[Point Blank]

I think Gracul was saying that Ireland will be reduced by 1 region and the large Kiev region split into two in 6.3.

[Gorrrrrn]

PB - yes that's what I'm expecting will happen. sounds reasonable

[Grouchio]

Could you give us Any kind of release date?

[Kaledon]

How could he give a release date when he doesn't know when 6.3 will be out?

[Gorrrrrn]

um quite.

I reckon -all being well, it might take 2-3 months to port the original mod over to SS6.3 - after I've played it a few times to see what the game balance is like etc.

That's before I add any of the new items.

SS6.3 is going to be a 1TPY Mod, so I'm not sure how the 2TPY will work, apart from just doubling various times, date/turn numbers etc.

There's changes to the region naming conventions (and a new region) plus any new units which may well be unfamiliar to me.

The EDB will need total re-write and the campaign script will need heavy editing, adding bits and pieces, removing others.
(The current RozMod one has redundant code I'll not use again.)

The EDU may need some work - especially if I add my own garrison units/script.

Exactly what will need doing remains to be seen.

[toluas]

Looking much forward to this!

[Lemming69]

as there are no longer castles, aesthetically wise, does this mean that there will be a keep or fortified stronghold somewhere in the city in the battle map? perhaps instead of taking the 'town square' area you should have to take the courtyard in the castle area maybe to reflect how capturing the keep/castle was usually the most difficult part of the city to secure. Historically, we know many major medieval cities had strongholds such as York, Rome and London, and sometimes it took many days besieging the keep until it fell.... just an idea really, perhaps it could spice up battles a bit more...