Ability Parameters

[Kaoru]

(Note: Newest question is in my latest post, you can ignore this first one.)

Hey! Yeah, I know, two open topics at once? Madness! But from what I've read on these forums, separate questions should have separate topics, and this is a vastly separate question from the one on promotion.

So, I want to add some progression to certain abilities - make them more lucrative as they level up. However, looking into the .abi files perplexes me. I understand how to make abilities progress - with the

Code: Select all

ProgRate

line - but I don't understand how progression works, what the ProgRate controls, etcetera. I also don't understand the parameters. For instance, Master Logistician has code that looks like this:

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UID = 18
Name = $abi_nam_Logistician
Alias = Master_Logistician
Kind = $abiSupplyMod
Text = $abi_txt_Logistician
ImageID = abi_supply1.png
Color = $colAbi_Green
Appliance = Leader
Family = 0
Level = 1
Param0 = -25

- which makes perfect sense. It reduces supply consumption by 25%, so Param0 is -25. But take an ability like Militiaman. Militiaman improves Discipline of all militia units by one, and cohesion by ten, to all units in the leader's stack, and, if he's the highest-ranked leader in the region, to all units in the region, as well. So here's that:

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UID = 0
Name = $abi_nam_Militiaman
Alias = Militiaman
Kind = $abiBattleBonus
Text = $abi_txt_Militiaman
ImageID = abi_militia1.png
Color = $colAbi_Red
Appliance = Group
Family = 1
Level = 1
ProgRate = 2
Param0 = 100
Param1 = 100
Param4 = 0
Param5 = 1
Param6 = 100
ListParams1 = $Militia

...So, wait...what? I see the '1' in there, I assume that's for discipline, but how is that determined? Where's the 10 bonus to cohesion handled? What are the 100s for? And this appears to be a progressing ability, but what does leveling it up do? Abilities like Master Driller, Good Population Administer, Strategist, Training Officer - heck, even Quickly Angered - have relatively confusing parameter-setups. So...help! Please!
Sincerely,
Kaoru

[Primasprit]

Hi Kaoru,

maybe this thread can help you a bit: http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=10259

..So, wait...what? I see the '1' in there, I assume that's for discipline, but how is that determined? Where's the 10 bonus to cohesion handled?

The TQ bonus of 1 gives automatically the cohesion bonus.

Cheers
Norbert

[Kaoru]

That thread was incredibly helpful! Thank you, Norbert/Primasprit! I thought it looked like it varied with category...Though I do have another question: How is ability progression handled? For instance, how does the militiaman-ability know to only increment the Troop Quality, with each level-up, and does it only do it by one? Always? The spreadsheet just said something about "5% per level above that indicated", but I didn't understand what that meant...

Thanks in advance, and thanks, again!

[Pocus]

The progression is 'hard coded' (shivers...) somehow. The TQ bonus is something like AbiLevel-1 I guess.

[Kaoru]

The progression is 'hard coded' (shivers...) somehow. The TQ bonus is something like AbiLevel-1 I guess.

Makes sense! Hardcoding has to start somewhere, after all, and ability level-ups, and even their progression and effects, would likely take a lot of work to make accessible to 'vanilla' modders. After all, most of it probably is handled by the engine, directly, and very few of even the best normal modders can actually code. Otherwise, they'd be making games, not modifying them!

Anyhow, I've been doing some testing on my own, and gotten some pretty neat results. So I'll just keep my own notes and share anything I find interestin', if anyone asks, regarding abilities. For now, at least! Thanks for all the great information, Pocus, Primasprit. You two are the greatest devs I've ever met! ...
You're also the only devs I've ever met, but still! Thanks.
~Kaoru, signing off on abilities, in this topic!