Mercenaries mod

[vakarr]

Is it possible to create a mod that will modify some but not all army lists that are used in the game for custom battles etc not just your own campaigns? I am very dissatisfied with the way some army lists have lots of grades of troops while others don't, when surely grading from elite to superior to above average to average to raw existed to some extent in every army (well maybe not elite and superior). I think that it would be interesting to regrade some mercenaries in ancient armies. Of course that would include the Thracians , who had a different type of light cavalry that is graded the same as everybody else's light cavalry. They fought in a special formation and had a preference for hand-to-hand combat and were much in demand so at least some of them should be graded as such - either above average or superior, and some of them at least should have swords. I think most of the tribal infantry groups should also have a small proportion that are better fighters than the rest. Again, it's these type of men that were recruited as mercenaries so it should be possible to have above average or superior foot mercenaries. It should be possible to have a few superior or above average Thracian peltasts (and more of the light Thracian peltasts). My main problem is I don't know how to cost the troops for army lists where there aren't similar troops available in another list.

[rbodleyscott]

Of course.

It could not be simpler. All user created folders are treated by the game as Custom Battle modules unless they have the line NOSKIRMISH in the Campaign.txt file.

So:
1) Go into the Editor and create a new "campaign" folder. It will get saved in \Documents\My Games\FieldOfGlory2\CAMPAIGNS. (Note that the game engine calls all user-created folders "campaigns" whether they are actually campaigns or not)
2) Copy ArmyList.txt from \CORE to the new folder. (NOT in a \CORE subdirectory)
3) Edit the ArmyList.txt file
4) In game, go to Custom Battles, click on the "Select another module" button, and pick your new folder.

If you add new army lists, you will need to add the relevant IDS_ARMY_ strings to Text1.txt

[Paul59]

Of course.

It could not be simpler. All user created folders are treated by the game as Custom Battle modules unless they have the line NOSKIRMISH in the Campaign.txt file.

So:
1) Go into the Editor and create a new "campaign" folder. It will get saved in \Documents\My Games\FieldOfGlory2\CAMPAIGNS. (Note that the game engine calls all user-created folders "campaigns" whether they are actually campaigns or not)
2) Copy ArmyList.txt from \CORE to the new folder. (NOT in a \CORE subdirectory)
3) Edit the ArmyList.txt file
4) In game, go to Custom Battles, click on the "Select another module" button, and pick your new folder.

If you add new army lists, you will need to add the relevant IDS_ARMY_ strings to Text1.txt

It also sounds like vakarr wants to add new units; different quality versions of existing units, so he will need to have an updated version of the Points Cost table.

[rbodleyscott]

It also sounds like vakarr wants to add new units; different quality versions of existing units, so he will need to have an updated version of the Points Cost table.

And a Squads.csv file, but he is used to doing that from his Thracian campaigns.

Here is the current points system. The cost is per 100 UnitSize for most units, per 50 UnitSize for Light Foot and Light Horse.

FOG2 Points System.jpg (182.84 KiB) Viewed 2948 times

[Paul59]

Thanks Richard, I am familiar with vakarr's campaigns and realised that he knows about the Squads.csv and the text file entries needed to create new units.

cheers

Paul

[vakarr]

Oh, great, thankyou! What is the point cost for "above average" (troops better than average but not superior) troops?
or for troops half equipped with a weapon?
I suppose I should update my campaigns to use the new Thracian models/units that came with the game update/DLC but otherwise don't want to add extra units, just modify existing ones.

[rbodleyscott]

Oh, great, thankyou! What is the point cost for "above average" (troops better than average but not superior) troops?
or for troops half equipped with a weapon?

Proportional.

So if the Experience and Elan are 150 the cost would be half way between Average and Superior.
If the Armour rating is 75, the cost would be half-way between Protected and Armoured.
For most weapons 50% would cost half price. However, this does not apply to Lance, which has full effect even when only 50% so-armed. The cost for 50% bow is the cost for Bow* in the chart.

[vakarr]

The mod has now been released:
it includes five new Thracian lists -

• Early, middle, and late Getic
  Celtic Thracian (kingdom of Tylis)
  early, Hellenistic, later, and Roman Thracian
  Early and later Triballi.

For an explanation of these lists see this book:

The Gods of Battle.jpg (11.74 KiB) Viewed 2596 times

- it upgrades Numidian light horse to superior light horse or protected cavalry
- Thracian light horse is partly upgraded to sword + javelin or superior light horse or protected cavalry
- Many other lists (from the Ancient era) gain the troops they would get if they had allies
- The mercenaries in many lists get a slight upgrade (usually from average to "above average")
- Hellenistic, Thracian, Carthaginian, and Lysimachid armies benefit in particular.