Adding new AI Lords???

[buddha737 0]

I was looking all the way around google, wikipedia, forums, but I could not find anything, so, I decided to register here. Im a big fan of both this page and strongholdheaven, but here is my question, after seeing the video changing of AI lords from Hammer to Vlad the ?Impaler. I saw, that there are some empty spaces in the template, with numbers on them. So I have the question - is there any possibility of creating NEW AI lords, USING the templates of old ones, but NOT replacing them??

 

Why I need this? I love creating maps, and recently I begun creating a campaign for my friend. The problem is, that I lack characters. I know I can change Crests, Lords, Templates, but the question is if I can ADD and not REPLACE new lords??

 

Hope I am clear and sorry, if Im creating a topic uselessly, but I didnt find the exact issue.

[Lord_Chris 251]

Hi @buddha737, and welcome to StrongholdNation.

 

If I understand you correctly, you want to add new AI lords into the game. While there are probably certain elements you may be able to add into the game by itself, I do not believe that you have the ability to completely add new AI lords, which is why in the video you saw I just changed an AI lord instead.

 

Most of the lord's actions including colour, sound effects, mark-up (e.g. their physical body) are all hard coded into the exe, DLLs or some other file and I do not know of how to get around this. @Tokamaps recently found a way to change the player colour which was until then thought an impossible task. Perhaps something similar may well be an option.

 

While you can't physically add new units and lords to the game, in my knowledge, you can base new lords off existing ones and switch them. This is the only thing I know that will work.

 

Sorry that what you wanted doesn't really work - and let me know if I wasn't clear or you want to know more. :)

 

** Edit **

 

Back to part of the question - and hopefully a backup solution - why do you need to create new characters in your campaign? Why can't you replace Lords for your situation?

Edited November 25, 2015 by Lord_Chris

[buddha737 0]

haha, Chris, boy are you fast, I tought I will get the answer in the end of the week. So lovely you're so responsive

 

I have already read ALL of your articles and answers, as well as Tokamaps', Mathew Steele, PrinceEagle and Lord Vett (sorry, the names are probably not right, but I havent learned them by heart yet), so I have found basically everything editable (faces, templates, colors, crests) that was posted except my question and now you answered it :)

 

For the answer to your question - the campaign is in such a continuity, I already lack characters, haha. I mean, if I want something that hasnt appeared yet (like, a foreign lord) then I need to change the whole template and make changes also in my friends folders, which is a little too much of work for every time there is a different scenario.

 

This might sound complex, so to pour in some light, let me explain - the campaign is more or less similar to the in-game campaign, only it is waaaaay longer and has waaaaay more maps and missions. I already used some people more than once, like, Sir Grey is the father of player, also, Sir Grey is the actual Sir Grey and I need another old lord, so another Sir Grey just doesnt sound right :D?Am I clear or not really? Feel free to ask, I can already see I will be enjoying this forum so much as the game itself!

[Lord_Chris 251]

I can understand what the use you want it for is, and I don't know any other way you could approach this properly. The only solution which I can think of that might make it easier for other people to play your campaign, is to make an executable application (.exe.) file in Inno Setup Compiler.

 

This would make the changes automatically so users don't need to change the files themselves. On uninstall, it could roll them back so their game is exactly the same way it was prior. This is the only way I know that would not let users edit the files manually themselves.

 

Glad you're enjoying the forum so far! :)

[buddha737 0]

Wow, Chris, thank you, this is an approach I did not think off. But I dont see any tutorial, I probably should google it. Cause I dont really understand, how can I make a dozen of war scenarios into a campaign .exe

 

Moreover, should I renew the exe with every overtought change? Like, for example, at some point, the player has the option to change loyalty (like in the original campaign), so I need his Crest to change at that exact moment and only if he is changing loyalty. But I guess, this is too complex to do, like you mentioned in the answer yesterday :)

 

Oh yes, I am, the community is really alive, no idea how could I miss this forum when searching for any active members!

[Lord_Chris 251]

Inno Setup behaves just like a normal installer, and as an example of this - installing the game. So as an example of what it would be like, see this music pack I made for SH2: http://www.stronghold-nation.com/downloads/file/15-custom-music-pack/

 

You download, run the installer, it backs up any files that are changed, then simply adds new files with the same name to that location. On uninstall, it deletes the added files and moves the backup files into the original folder again.

 

So for your use - you would make the campaigns, then reference the file names in the Inno Setup code. Once you've finished, you click "Build", then "Compile" and it will make the exe for you.

 

The official documentation is somewhat lacking on this, perhaps it might be worth me making something specific to Stronghold applications sometime.

 

On a side note - once the game has loaded to the main menu, you can't change anything such as crests without exiting and loading the game again. This is because the initial loading screen of the game gathers, loads and parses everything, all files, crests, images .etc. and these can't be changed without reloading them.

[buddha737 0]

Man, I love you, haha :D

 

First - I was thinking of redoing the playlist of the game and there you go, your .exe has some fresh sounds.

 

Secondly - you answer all my questions short and clear, superb!

 

About the side note - yes, it is quite obvious, but thank you for mentioning :)

 

So, basically, I can just send a new .exe for every new mission if any changes are necessary, thus, no need of adding new characters, I can just replace the new templates for as long as neccessary and have limitless amount of characters, this is quite amazing!

[Lord_Chris 251]

Yes, that's very possible. But I would strongly recommend you make sure the previous mission has been uninstalled before you allow the next mission to be installed - this is because if they just install and install, when a user comes to uninstall, they will likely end up removing or replacing the actual files that are needed.

 

Anyway - let me know if you need any help with this. :)

[Tokamaps 27]

We as Players actually can have 2 or maybe more lords in war/peace scenario!?

[buddha737 0]

Lord Chris, its funny now, because, for some reason, I cant edit my event in war scenarios! I can only make a mission to kill an enemy lord, that it. Invasion numbers wont change, I cant change anything at trader, at any percentages, time delays or restrictions on weaponry. I will try to reinstall stronghold with a backup of all the documents

 

Tokamaps, sorry, I didnt quite understand, try to expand your thought. I remmember, that you are german, but just try to explain more, what did you mean?

[Tokamaps 27]

What i mean is that you can have 2 or maybe more lords,

Like in Mission 1 of the warcampaign

Or Mission 8 of the warcampaign!?

?

 

some Pics:

 

http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t452/tobikanne01/Stronghold2%202015-11-28%2012-17-48-08_zpspknxtwdq.png[/img]

 

http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t452/tobikanne01/Stronghold2%202015-11-28%2012-17-22-54_zpsmxxbfogu.png[/img]

 

I think now its understandable ;)

Edited November 28, 2015 by Tokamaps

[Lord_Chris 251]

  Quote

Lord Chris, its funny now, because, for some reason, I can't edit my event in war scenarios! I can only make a mission to kill an enemy lord, that it. Invasion numbers won't change, I can't change anything at trader, at any percentages, time delays or restrictions on weaponry. I will try to reinstall stronghold with a backup of all the documents

Read more  

 

Have you modified anything? What game version are you running?

[buddha737 0]

Tokamaps, I never knew!! You just add two lords and thats it?

 

Chris, no, I am not into modifications on my stronghold 2. Yet :D

The unstable one, Stronghold 2 Deluxe 1.4. When I tried updating it to 1.4.1 it gives me an error in the end of the installation

[Lord_Chris 251]

Ok. Would be useful to know what exactly the error is ;)

 

You also need 1.4.1 to play online so it has lots of advantages of upgrading. If you let me know what error it is you get, I'll try to resolve it for you.

[buddha737 0]

I know, Ive read in this forum, that my version is unstable. But I get the error, that the installation wizard has not found Stronghold deluxe on my computer

 

And another thing - my game freezes and then automatically exits to desktop every time I am trying to add a crane in the map, so you can never see cranes in my map. It works fine, though, if I download map with cranes in it.?

 

Oh, and some of the maps also make the game stop responding and then it exits automatically. For example, the contest winner in the Adventure, Aleks_Riverbourne would make my game crash both opening to play or in the map editor, though Vetkas' and Nigels' map worked perfectly. But most of the times, after some time passes, I can play and edit these maps

Edited November 28, 2015 by buddha737

[Lord_Chris 251]

  Quote

And another thing - my game freezes and then automatically exits to desktop every time I am trying to add a crane in the map, so you can never see cranes in my map. It works fine, though, if I download map with cranes in it.

Read more  

 

Can you let me know which exact icon it is from here: http://www.stronghold-nation.com/article/21-animals-editor

 

  Quote

For example, the contest winner in the Adventure, Aleks_Riverbourne would make my game crash both opening to play or in the map editor, though Vetkas' and Nigels' map worked perfectly.

Read more  

 

Sounds like a versioning issue to me. I'm not sure what version any of them were made on but it definitely seems like this is the problem.

 

First question - is this a legal copy of the game or a cracked one?

[buddha737 0]

The white bird, first on the left of the bottom row

 

But isnt it strange, that only some maps go like this? And most of them somehow magically fix in time?

 

It is a cracked on, from a tightly controlled site, so it is not virused or anything. I lost my playing disk of a legal copy (I can show you I have one of the two CDs in the box, just not to be judged :)), so I have let myself to download it?:|

[Lord_Chris 251]

Thank you for your honesty, and I do appreciate this. However, it is against the site's policies to offer support to users who use cracked versions of the game. I fully understand your situation, however, the only advice I can give is to purchase a new copy of the game that is not cracked.

 

If you would like advice or help on fixing or repairing files on a broken disc, we would be more than happy to give it to you. We would also be more than happy to give advice on where to purchase a new copy. However, piracy is illegal and as such we cannot help you.

 

It is site policy to close topics that ask for pirated support, however in this case I will not be doing so since you did not specifically ask for it. If you know where you received the download from, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll send the link to Firefly to get it taken down. Nothing is being held against you, and you certainly are not being judged.

 

I will take this time to emphasise the site rules though. I do recommend you fully read them so you are aware of what is/isn't acceptable: http://forums.stronghold-nation.com/rules/

 

I'm sorry that we are unable to assist further in this situation.

[buddha737 0]

Yes, Ive read the policies before registering, therefore, I wanted to be honest with you :)

 

That site is actually somehow supervised, because, for example, Microsoft kindly asked them to take out all Microsoft games and they did it. I tottally understand your position and I agree, I buy the games I like, but I did not want to buy another game, plus, I would have to buy it on the internet, because I have not seen it in shops for a looooong time. Everything is occupied by call of duty and such.

[EaglePrince 230]

Well, regarding ordering stuff on internet, I admit it is a huge step for someone who hasn't bought anything online before. I was I that club recently, you may know that from my older posts. From recent time I am able to do something like that. I was very insecure, but by now I have ordered few relatively cheap stuff online, and it went fine with no issue.

 

Please, check the personal message I sent you. I may be able to assist you. Oh, and feel free to ask any question regarding this matter, it would be a shame not to have 1.4.1 (that is, original game), as with it the game is really awesome! You would have everything you had and with no bugs or issues. :)

 

Also, if this would become "how to buy a game" discussion, we should start that talking in another tread.