Sibley's 1862 Campaign, 7-day turns project, ALPHA

[grimjaw]

I am extensively reworking the full April '61 campaign. It is a long project. Recently I have picked up some additional real-life work and have less time for modding. However, I am able to get a less extensive project out the door sooner since it involves far fewer changes: the Sibley Campaign.

In the Sibley project, the goal will only be changing the turn rate from 24 to 48 turns per year. The values potentially being changed are:

- number of turns
- rates of change where the value relies on turn rate
- turn indexes
- durations based on turns
- money/conscript/WSU/VP/supply/ammo production & consumption
- descriptions of events, regional decisions, etc to reflect new turn rate

Spelling errors, event dates, win conditions, unit names, bugs in CW2 version 1.06 (see below) and so on are being left as is. I will not add/remove/modify other items unless the turn rate change will negatively affect them or will unbalance gameplay.

CW2 is, IMHO, designed for no more than 24 turns/year. Although much code is available to the user, it is not enough to overcome this hurdle easily or completely. Even for so short a campaign as Sibley's, some rates are built into the engine and can't be changed by end-user modding. Military control and loyalty, I believe, are two examples. Both are affected per turn, and will increase or decrease more rapidly. Only in some cases or to some degree can this be modified. Loyalty, for example, can be affected by the police value of an element. When an element's police value, stored as an integer, is already at its least possible non-zero value (the case with almost all infantry), halving other police values doesn't go as far as needed. Leaving the police values unchanged doesn't exactly work either, since loyalty calculations have maximum values and don't scale. Another value that doesn't scale well with a turn change is foreign intervention, but since FI doesn't play a part in Sibley's campaign we can ignore it.

Even when the values stored as integers aren't at their lowest levels, it can still be a problem. This happens in the case of odd-number values. Assume there are a collection of 10 elements, 5 of which have supply usage 2, and 5 have supply usage 3. Those 10 elements are consuming 25 supply/turn. If you try to halve supply usage you say supply usage 1 for 5 elements (1 is the lowest positive number that can be stored), and supply usage 1 *OR* 2 for 5 elements. You'll get 10 or 15 usage for 10 elements, instead of 12 or 13. This kind of issue exists in many if not all of the resource pools.

RE: asset production and consumption, and VP, this is a little bit easier. Just a little bit. Again, many of these values are already at minimum production. In the case of money, conscripts and WSU, these are produced per turn but consumed on demand or via event. Since the asset production rates are supposedly doubled (I think), costs are increased by the same amount. Where a regional decision for a demonstration cost $20 before, now it's $40, and so on. VP is only consumed or spent in small amounts and it doesn't have a ceiling (that I know of). A faction endgame total of 300 VP with 24 turns/year might be 600 VP now, but the other faction will have increased VP by about the same multiple.

If I can eventually get hold of the 1.06 database files (anybody?), I will use them to record the changes and generate the modded files. I hope to be able to provide just the updated databases. This will reduce the number of files and the download size. It will also allow you to generate your own files and scenario, and to see any errors generated by the compilation process that might be specific to your environment. If I can't get the 1.06 files, my goal will be to include only modified files. You will still need to make a copy of your game files for modification and set up your modpath.ini (very easy to do, btw).

I have an early release ready if anyone wants to try it, consisting of the modded files. It is about 1.2 megabytes compressed. I do not have a place to host it other than this forum. It compiles and plays without error (working on my 4th playtest), but the resource totals are still off. If they were all off by the same amount, it would be much easier to deal with. Unfortunately it varies between different resources and factions. Total money might have increased by 20%, while number of conscripts is 50% higher, with different totals for a different faction. I can only recommend applying this mod to version 1.06. I don't have previous patches to test, nor the time needed to mod multiple versions. After applying it to your mod directory, the other campaigns in that directory will probably not function correctly. This is why I can only recommend applying it to a backup of your game files and playing it via the modpath.ini option. Please do not attempt unless you have your original game installation media and can reinstall.

In this release, there are at least three issues. First, I have not updated all the descriptions. This doesn't directly affect gameplay but can be confusing. Second, I suspect that the South West will function more like a breadbasket than a desert. I hope I am wrong, but further playtesting will tell. Third, there are events based on turn indexes that provide resources to both factions; I have not yet updated them to reflect the new costs of units. If there is any interest in the mod, I hope your input will be helpful in fine-tuning.

I mentioned errors in the game. There are still a number of issues in the game up to version 1.06 that need to be corrected. Some I believe are specific to 1.06, some aren't. Whatever the case, in the interest of time I am not going to correct any of them for this mod. They can have negative effects on any of the campaigns, modded or not.

The compressed file should model the directory structure of the CW2 folder. Copy the directories into your modpath and let it overwrite. The name of your modpath folder should be irrelevant. Example: if your modpath directory is "sibley", copy the five folders from "longcivilwar" to your sibley directory. When prompted to overwrite, allow it. Files and directory structure I have included should be:

longcivilwar\events
longcivilwar\gamedata
longcivilwar\graphics
longcivilwar\settings
longcivilwar\scripts
longcivilwar\events\LCW_RegionsDecisions.sct
longcivilwar\events\LCW 1862 Sibley.sct
longcivilwar\gamedata\models
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\10CMNLight Infantry.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\14CMN6 lb pounder.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\15CMN6 lb pounder.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\16CMN12 lb pounder.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\17CMN12 lb pounder.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\180USACavalry (late).mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\181USACavalry (conscript).mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\1CMNInfantry .mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\226USARangers.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\28CMNFort Batteries.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\29CMNFort Batteries.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\2CMNInfantry .mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\30CMNCoastal Artillery.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\31CMNCoastal Artillery.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\3CMNInfantry (conscript).mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\42CMNSupply.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\4CMNInfantry (elite).mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\70CMNRangers.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\71CMNVolunteers.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\72CMNState Militia.mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\7CMNCavalry (early).mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\8CMNCavalry (late).mdl
longcivilwar\gamedata\models\9CMNCavalry (conscript).mdl
longcivilwar\graphics\frontend
longcivilwar\graphics\frontend\GUINewAndLoad
longcivilwar\graphics\frontend\GUINewAndLoad\Scenarios
longcivilwar\graphics\frontend\GUINewAndLoad\Scenarios\LCW_NewGame_Scenario_Sibley_OFF.png \\ (some kind of forum issue)
longcivilwar\graphics\frontend\GUINewAndLoad\Scenarios\LCW_NewGame_Scenario_Sibley_ON.png \\ ("scenarios" is one word in the mod)
longcivilwar\graphics\frontend\GUINewAndLoad\Scenarios\LCW_NewGame_Scenario_Sibley_HL.png
longcivilwar\settings\LocalStrings_CW2.csv
longcivilwar\settings\GameLogic.opt

You will need to recreate your models.cached and units.cached files. You will need to compile the scenario using the included script.ini. If nothing is missing from the compressed file, everything should be in place to compile the new scenario. Just run through the normal compilation process and save it. After that it's ready to play. Any feedback is appreciated, even if you don't like the mod.

LCW_Sibley v0.1 ==> [ATTACH]36709[/ATTACH]

Assuming this is applied to the vanilla game, the scenario will appear at the bottom of your list.
[ATTACH]36708[/ATTACH]


In both of the following images, the top line of resource totals is for the CSA.

Before mod, end of scenario totals with no orders, no AI.
[ATTACH]36706[/ATTACH]

After mod, end of scenario totals with no orders, no AI.
[ATTACH]36707[/ATTACH]

[grimjaw]

- Updated RGDs.
- Updated starting resources for factions.
- Updated string descriptions. RGDs at least should display correct debits and credits. I endeavored to update all languages but English is the only one I understand, so I may have flubbed it.

Since this contains a script.ini change, you will have to recompile your scenario to use it.

[ATTACH]36753[/ATTACH]

[grimjaw]

Notes 01/13/2016

- Up to v0.2, the vanilla game supply consumption and storage rates for elements was supposed to remain the same. If an element consumed 1 supply/turn and stored 3 supply, it should have still been that in LCW v0.2. Supply consumption at that rate should keep up with supply production in regions where supply is being produced. Supply production in areas where supply will stockpile will reach saturation points in fewer days that it took previously.

In the vanilla game, it must be assumed that most elements have an abstracted supply train. Take a single regiment of infantry as an example. It has enough supply to last two turns without resorting to foraging. That represents 30 days. I don't know about you, but the amount of food I alone consume in 30 days would require several men to carry. Any element in the vanilla game that consumes supply will, I think, have enough supply storage for at least one turn (15 days), and most have two or more.

In the mod, I have not changed the amount of supply stored by elements. They carry enough supply to last the same amount of *turns* as before, but in *days* the duration has been halved. I like this better, but I could probably live with the older month-long duration if enough people complained about it.

- To help with supply changes related to turn rates, I had high hopes of using a command that is available for at least one of the games, SetSupplyMod ( http://www.ageod.net/agewiki/SetSupplyMod ). On that page, it says very clearly that the command is only available for WIA. I incorporated it into a test build to see if the CW2 engine would work with it. I guess it's yes and no.

I didn't get an error, and in fact the script report showed that it at least recognizes the command. However, it doesn't seem to have any effect on consumption or production in CW2, unless I am using it incorrectly. The wiki description doesn't have many details on where it should be placed, or if it's faction-specific. I tried it with Easy Supply on and off, but still no success. Back to the drawing board.

- Travel times over translinks are often jacked up. It hadn't noticed it as much in my other mod because I didn't have to use them as much, but the Sibley campaign has a higher percentage of them because of the restricted western theater.

Example: a trip plotted by a single leaderless cav regiment from Yuma to SE Cali is initially 22 days. If there are no weather changes in either region for that span, the trip will probably take 22 days. If the weather changes, or if there's a leader involved, or both, the time can fluctuate so madly that what started at 22 days might show up two turns later as having 23 days remaining. I think what is displayed is a the remainder of the time in turns but converted to days. Terrain + weather determines the travel time, and translinks can add to the equation. Assume a 10-day land-based trip is ordered for a force with an active leader during clear weather. On the 2nd turn, terrain in destination region turns to mud. If weather had been like that when trip was originally ordered, assume trip would have taken 20 days. Also, the leader is no longer active which will slow down the force evenmore. Since 7/10 of the trip has been completed, 3/10 of the trip is left. 30% of 20 days in game time is 6 or 7 days, but the leader's malus will make it more than that, extending it into yet a 3rd turn. On the 3rd turn if there is still a percentage of travel time left, it will apply that to the number of days it would take from the original region to the destination region. At least, after playing with the numbers for about two hours, that's how I think it works.

These eccentricities are mostly masked with 15-day turns because it's rare that travel time from region to region takes more than two weeks. Possible solution: cut travel times in the terrain files. Well first, that involves a significant amount of work, and I don't know that I care to mess with it right now. Second, travel specified in many cases is already 1, or an odd number, making the problem of halving the values the same as in other areas of the game.

[hanny1]

Good luck with this project/s!.

Is it the 114 turn campaign your working on or is it both the full campaigns?

I

[grimjaw]

Thanks!

The only two campaigns I am modding are Sibley's and the April '61 full campaign. I don't really have any interest in playing Sibley's, but it is much simpler to implement mods on and quicker to test them.