The Town and Castle RozMod for SS6.3 Beta released

[stevehoos]

well the original RozMod was done some time ago as a sub-mod for the October 2009 RC/RR compilation.
so much of the work is done - i just need to make sure it works with SS6.3

just had a fort battle to test things and it seems OK.

so next test module should be out very soon.

Great Roz, I will try out the test module as soon as its available

[stevehoos]

What? Castles will be gone?
Without castles M2TW will be non-sense.

I feel quite the opposite I must say.

[Gorrrrrn]

IN CASE PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS GERMANICUS5 STATES:

I'll just plaster it all over forums: not running the game as administrator will cause serious issues, particularly fatal graphics errors or random campaign and battle CTDs, particularly on Win 7 and Vista.

How-to on fixing this:

Right-click SS icon, choose Properties, choose Shortcut tab, click Advanced, tick "Run as administrator", than click "ok" enough times to close all open windows.

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OK here is Test Module 5
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http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=2921
It includes all the perm stone forts and a descr_strat with them all on the map.

before installing backup your old descr_strat.
then install the files into the stainless steel 6.3 folder.

Due to its size the test module will only be available from the twcenter downloads section.

note this is not the all towns version but it does include a very basic 2 turns per year descr_strat.
the 2 tpy will work if you comment out the ageing script part of the campaign script in addition to the new descr_strat.

NOTE: that's as far as 2 TPY has got - there's a lot of work to do with traits and other stuff.

DO: remove the current map.rwm file in the maps/base folder as the map needs to be completely redrawn for the forts.
and, of course, you need to start a new campaign for this to all to effect.

(I'll post the link once it has been uploaded - shout if you have any problems - I may have forgotten some important files
or added some I needn't!)

[Alpha Zeke]

IN CASE PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS GERMANICUS5 STATES:

I'll just plaster it all over forums: not running the game as administrator will cause serious issues, particularly fatal graphics errors or random campaign and battle CTDs, particularly on Win 7 and Vista.

How-to on fixing this:

Right-click SS icon, choose Properties, choose Shortcut tab, click Advanced, tick "Run as administrator", than click "ok" enough times to close all open windows.

I might add, click apply where available.

[stevehoos]

I have seen 0 difference in the behavoir of "fatal graphics errors" since running the game as administrator. CTD Still seems dependent on unit size in besiged cities at least for me. Maybe something is afoot with my computer? I doubt it however. I have never had CTDs ( fatal graphic errors) in custom battles unless I have a battle with a siege reguardless of Admin settings, so how could the problem be dependent on administrator related issues? The evidence is not there to support that, at least in my experience. I am sure running the game as administrator is beneficial( I have not a clue of things like this), but in this instance it is irrelevant.

The problem is the same.

IN other news:


TESTING MODULE 5 NOW, thanks!!

[Gorrrrrn]

re administrator stuff - I've not been running game as administrator so will see if it makes a difference.
(I've not got much idea what difference running anything as an admin makes in WIn7 - we shall see.)

Not had any CTDs in siege battles but that may be due to not fighting any with huge unit size or large garrisons.

anyway the Test Module 5 is up for people to try if they so choose.

[stevehoos]

re administrator stuff - I've not been running game as administrator so will see if it makes a difference.
(I've not got much idea what difference running anything as an admin makes in WIn7 - we shall see.)

Not had any CTDs in siege battles but that may be due to not fighting any with huge unit size or large garrisons.

anyway the Test Module 5 is up for people to try if they so choose.

I would have never noticed the siege bug issue perhaps if the English had not attacked Edinburgh with 3 armies in unison. The battle was fought 3 times and in each occurance I was victorious, but it crashed at the end all 3 times. This particular incident made me reset my campaign because I could not get the sim engine to give me a victory no matter how many times I tried. When playing this game this bug is something that will appear but once in a blue moon, but when it does ( yes even with non-modded unit size) its a killer, because the engine simply will not play these battles. I guess this bug could have remained esoteric info privied only to the game engine itself and things would be fine, however I think somewhere along the course of playing the game everybody will see it at some point. Sadly, I think playing with normal 6.3 unit sizes may be the only work around if something is not figured out. I had my share of CTDs with 6.2, but nothing of this nature was ever prevalent in that code. I could always restart a battle if it crashed and relive history twice in an hour even in a failed first attempt.

[Gorrrrrn]

found another pirate fleet where it shouldn't be - Damascus needs to be added to the descr_regions "no_pirates" list.

large battles with multiple armies were always problematic for the game engine from day 1 of M2TW IIRC.

tried playing Poland with huge army size - took out bloom, reduced grass to low detail, disabled the SS6.3 new_vegetation.
less than 20 units on screen between the 2 armies in a siege battle where I was attacking Thorn.
no problems with CTDs BUT major problem getting units climbing ladders and siege towers to get off them and fight.
needed constant reminders.

[stevehoos]

found another pirate fleet where it shouldn't be - Damascus needs to be added to the descr_regions "no_pirates" list.

large battles with multiple armies were always problematic for the game engine from day 1 of M2TW IIRC.

tried playing Poland with huge army size - took out bloom, reduced grass to low detail, disabled the SS6.3 new_vegetation.
less than 20 units on screen between the 2 armies in a siege battle where I was attacking Thorn.
no problems with CTDs BUT major problem getting units climbing ladders and siege towers to get off them and fight.
needed constant reminders.

Very true, large battles have always been a problem, however I could always get through through them in the 6.2 campaign mode if they were critical to my survival. There was always the chance with 6.2 that a major battle would CTD, but with 6.3 there is no getting through them it seems. I think what I am going to do is when I have a big battle occur, I will just turn eveything graphics wise on extremely low settings for just that batttle, then change back to my original settings after its over- rinse and repeat if need be. 6.3 has so many little things that make it way better than 6.2 I just can't return.

Hey thanks for getting your test 5 module out so fast, starting test campaign tonight

[Paladin94610]

I like your permanent forts just disappointed about the All Cities thing. Don't you release the new features separately or with optional installation?

[Gorrrrrn]

IA - well if you download the latest Test Module you'll get the perm stone forts plus the normal castle and town settlements.
enjoy!

[wolfslayer]

Glad to see you're still evolving your mod.

I lost ( still have the data but not recovered yet) my entire SS6 install along with all my modeling, sounds textures and etc. Needless to say it put a damper on playing your mod and mTW2 in general. I had some modded files backed up but not much.

My forts I uploaded for your mod are still on mediafire and I have a couple uploads here.

Reinstalled KIngdoms 1.5 on new 2 tb drive last week but havent dled SS to reinstall yet. KInd of reading through the forums to see what is going on and also catching up with modeling developments.

Just stoppin in to say 'ello and will be back more often.

[dominion]

Hey roz, perhaps make two versions of your mod? one with all towns + PSF and one with all settlements and castles + PSF? (this last one is less work and with your latest test module 5 i would say you're not far off...not?

[Paladin94610]

IA - well if you download the latest Test Module you'll get the perm stone forts plus the normal castle and town settlements.
enjoy!

Do you mean test module 5. But I saw this.

Currently it is in development but requires a large download for all the fort files (it has 22 different fort designs, including 2 from Princes, Kings and Heroes by permission, the Kingdoms forts and the stone castles (used for settlements) recycled as forts.

So some forts will be the Castles, Fortress, Citadels and all settlements will be cities while others are Kingdoms small stone forts. Am I right?

[Gorrrrrn]

So some forts will be the Castles, Fortress, Citadels and all settlements will be cities while others are Kingdoms small stone forts. Am I right?

TM5 has all the normal SS6.3 towns and castles.
In addition it has approx 170 "forts" the designs of which include the usual kingdoms forts PLUS all stone castle types made into "forts".
you may be able to recruit mercenaries in forts if you have a general, but otherwise TM5 keeps the distinction between towns and castles.

Later versions will have the all towns version - but with identical "forts".
The all towns has to wait until the 6.3.1 patch is released to avoid having to do intensive work all over again.

I'm reluctant to get into supporting multiple versions of the mod - but if you want PSFs then TM5 gives you everything you need.
you can change the location of all forts in descr_strat but be careful when changing which fort goes where, or cultures.
The turn time in TM5 is 2 turns per year but you'll need to manually edit the campaign script to remove the ageing script to get it to work
(or edit descr_strat and return turn time to 1 TPY.)
----------------------------------------------------

wolfslayer - good to see back - sorry to hear about PC problems.
I've not progressed the mod very far since the RC/RR version as I've been waiting for SS6.3 to emerge.
now we have to wait for the patch.

as for DL'ing SS6.3 - provided the DL and install goes smoothly it works OK, esp if you apply the fixes on the O/P of the bug report thread.
also - probably best not to play beyond 25 turns without saving - if you're fighting battles - may be stable longer on autoresolve.
G5 reckons stability improved with running game as administrator if you have Vista or Win7.
Most PCs won't be able to handle really big battles - so normal or large size safest.
I suggest turning off bloom, removing the new vegetation and not chosing perm arrows.

apart from that it works really well.

[Paladin94610]

TM5 has all the normal SS6.3 towns and castles.
In addition it has approx 170 "forts" the designs of which include the usual kingdoms forts PLUS all stone castle types made into "forts".
you may be able to recruit mercenaries in forts if you have a general, but otherwise TM5 keeps the distinction between towns and castles.

Later versions will have the all towns version - but with identical "forts".
The all towns has to wait until the 6.3.1 patch is released to avoid having to do intensive work all over again.

I'm reluctant to get into supporting multiple versions of the mod - but if you want PSFs then TM5 gives you everything you need.
you can change the location of all forts in descr_strat but be careful when changing which fort goes where, or cultures.
The turn time in TM5 is 2 turns per year but you'll need to manually edit the campaign script to remove the ageing script to get it to work
(or edit descr_strat and return turn time to 1 TPY.)

Don't you keep this version on without overwriting it with newer ones as dominion has suggested to keep two versions, one with all cities and another with city/castles. And I beg you to keep this version.

[Gorrrrrn]

IA - DL this version TM5, and keep in a safe place.

I haven't changed recruitment times for TM 5 - so units seem to be recruited far too frequently (on a calendar basis - same number of turns.)
-----
currently testing buffing the descr_strat for SS6.3 -
upgraded all villages to towns so they can start building barracks or whatever from T1
added a few more ports - and will add more.
will add more corn exchanges

suggestions for settlements that need upgrading (with which buildings) most welcome esp if you can provide some evidence to back up claims!

----
also thinking about changing some regions for a more accurate 1100 start position:
adding Burgos to Leon_Castile (as should be)
adding Pamplona to Aragon-Navarra (and removing Zaragoza and Barcelona)
adding Oslo to Norway

again any suggestions for changes most welcome with evidence.
(but no changes to factions please)

[stevehoos]

Testing Module 5 now

[Gorrrrrn]

sh - many thanks!

some more possible map changes:

Scotland - Inverness independent (Moray or Norwegian or rebel)
Galicia not part of Poland
add Bari to Apulia-Calabria
Pisa to include Sardinia and Corsica (but not Genoa)
cumans - oleshe
pechenegs - Baia
Mosul Diyarbakir Tabriz indepedent
Baghdad Basra etc Abbasids
Hungary has Zagreb
Lisbon - almoravids

[Paladin94610]

I have got the TM5. I am messing up with the files.
I know where I have to place the txt.files but what about various file types, TEXTURE files, WORLD files, WORLDCOLLISION files. Where should I place them.