The Guns of August Mod (World War I - 1914 Scenario)

[Altaris]

In this mod, only medium and heavy artillery use ammo (which represents shells in this mod). Regularly infantry and cavalry do not require ammo, only supply. This is WAD. (Ammo supplies are very limited for all sides, particularly Russia). Artillery is very potent in this mod, as it was in the real war.

I make no claims on how well the AI will perform, it has not been tested and I primarily designed this to be a PBEM scenario. I haven't spent much time at all looking into how AI operates in AGEOD.

[NY Rangers]

Ok, thanks for the info.

I've been thinking of learning to mod the AI. This mod may be good for some experimenting.

[NY Rangers]

Altaris, attached is von Mackensen without the CP-penalty. I deleted Models.Cached before using these two files.

[Altaris]

Thx NY Ranger, always nice to have little things like this brought up, I've been working on this so long now I sometime's overlook the smaller details. Feel free to point out other things like this that you run across, I'll make sure to get them updated in my Exce/CSV files.

[Pocus]

There is a new feature experimented by the team in AJE (and more in BOR) which is to plug 'AI Agents' on a stack, so to direct him. This can work for the Schefflein Plan.

NY Rangers if you want to help with AI, then by all mean add the commands in excel first, not as text file. This seems more work at first but maintenance is much more easy on the long term.

[NY Rangers]

NY Rangers if you want to help with AI, then by all mean add the commands in excel first, not as text file. This seems more work at first but maintenance is much more easy on the long term.

How do you import data from the scen to make a proper, three tab excel-file?

[PhilThib]

It can't work from game to excel....only the other way round, that's why all direct modding and work in text files is just lost for us developpers. I used to tell that many times in the past to Clovis, who did most of his file on Excel in the beginning.
What you can do is take the files from RUS DB...if you don't find them, send me an email at pthibaut@ageod.net and I'll send you some sample files...

[NY Rangers]

For your information, further testing shows that while unmodded Russian AI does a pretty good job, its French counterpart is ultrapassive, scared of the enemy. The latter needs much more tweaking, obviously.

[Altaris]

My guess would be that the CP ratio is much higher in the favor of the Centrals in the West (since Germany has most of it's army positioned there), which causes the AI to be passive.

Interesting, thanks for researching into it!

[Baris]

Inspired by this mod, I copied the RUS-folder with latest version Fatal Years (which doesn't seem to be as polished as some of the earlier versions)

AS far as I remember he was working on notepad lately. From early ROP tests AI was adequate and much better in later RUS Fatal years. But lately he was experimenting on new AI agents on FY and SFV2 which could have brought some in incompatibility or not polished...

[NY Rangers]

Making the excel-files from scratch is just way too much work for me, so I'll edit text files.

Not surprisingly for a noob, I haven't had success in creating the Battle of Fronties. I've tried different things, and the latest test event looks like this:

Code: Select all

SelectFaction = $FRA

StartEvent = evt_nam_FRA_aggroWestFrontFrance|999|0|NULL|NULL|NULL|NULL

Conditions

  CheckAILevel = 1
  MinDate = 1914/08/01

Actions

  AI.SetAggro = $Theater_WestFrontFrance;999
  AI.SetLocalInterest = $Mulhouse;999;$Strassburg;999;$Metz;999

EndEvent

According to ScriptReport it works, but nothing happens.

[NY Rangers]

...and I was thinking of adding a turn index, so it would affect only the early turns.

[NY Rangers]

Meanwhile, here is the scn-file with a fort added to Loetzen.

[Franciscus]

Making the excel-files from scratch is just way too much work for me, so I'll edit text files.

Not surprisingly for a noob, I haven't had success in creating the Battle of Fronties. I've tried different things, and the latest test event looks like this:

Code: Select all

SelectFaction = $FRA

StartEvent = evt_nam_FRA_aggroWestFrontFrance|999|0|NULL|NULL|NULL|NULL

Conditions

  CheckAILevel = 1
  MinDate = 1914/08/01

Actions

  AI.SetAggro = $Theater_WestFrontFrance;999
  AI.SetLocalInterest = $Mulhouse;999;$Strassburg;999;$Metz;999

EndEvent

According to ScriptReport it works, but nothing happens.

Hi

The first line of a script must be startevent, only then the line about selectfaction.
Also you should Select again the faction before starting Actions (but after the entry "Actions")

Regards

[NY Rangers]

Hi

The first line of a script must be startevent, only then the line about selectfaction.
Also you should Select again the faction before starting Actions (but after the entry "Actions")

Regards

Thanks for the info! I will retry it soon.

[NY Rangers]

I had noticed that the battle sounds in this mod are poor, almost non-existent. Here's the solution:

Extract the attachment (Sounds_Alias.ini) to WW1/Aliases -folder. The file is from RUS.

(I deleted the old Sounds.ini from the folder, although I'm not sure if it is necessary.)

[NY Rangers]

Thanks for the info! I will retry it soon.

No success with the suggested changes, damn!

[NY Rangers]

Last report for today: French AI do attack Metz in force on turn 3, which is a bit too late. I have to figure out.

And if I haven't said it already, many thanks to Altaris for this great mod!

[Franciscus]

I understand next to nothing of AI, really, but:
- it's normal some delay between what you script by event and what the AI really does
- If you want something done with 100% certainty, you must script it directly (ie, "cheat")

Bohémond knows much more than me, maybe he can help you out

[GlobalExplorer]

Fantastic mod. Installation was not the hassle that I had feared. The only dissapointment is that the scenario has 10 turns. In other AGE games I only play campaigns of 70 turns upwards.

I would be very happy if this was turned into a separate WW1 game based on the AGE engine! I would pay hard cash for it. The AGE engine and WW1 are ready, meaning 2/3 the work is already done. WW1 itself never sold so well so it could benefit all parties.

[PhilThib]

WW1 itself never sold so well so it could benefit all parties.

Not true...WW1 was the second best sale in volumes for Ageod.

[Leibst]

Not true...WW1 was the second best sale in volumes for Ageod.

I bougth it, but never play more than two turns. Maybe someday will try again.... in that times i was most of the time playing 'how to live with a baby crying all night'.

[PhilThib]

Got 3 kids...you know now why I have been doing games all those years...

And now the elder girls are teenager...so dad will have "other" sleepless nights....lol

Joke aside, I agree it would be a great WW1 game mixing the work made by Altaris and the expertise of others... it's just a matter of finding time for it.

[wosung]

May Luca be interested in helping with another WW1 game? Or is he done with coding games? Couldn't you ... mobilize & co-ordinate those experts?
Second best sale in volumes gotta mean something, arguably there's a market for another WW1 game.

Best regards

[PhilThib]

Luca coded WW1 in C++, the AGE engine is a totally different code and engine, so he won't be of help...plus Luca now is focused on boardgame creation (and excellent ones by that !!) and not coding much.

If I am sure to find dedicated and committed volunteers that will stick together for a year or so, like the AJE guys, then it may be worth it

[GlobalExplorer]

In any event you would have a head start with this one! What I see in the mod is already a beautiful, detailed WW1 game. Unfortunately it is but a short preview, lacks the feel of a 4 year long struggle.

If it could be turned into a comprehensive experience à la ACW / RuS it may become your best selling title

Thanks to Altaris for the work done so far!!

[Altaris]

I'm glad you enjoyed it Global, I've pretty much had the same experience in the various PBEM's I've played... by the end of it, I'm wishing to see where it goes - particularly on the Eastern Front where things really start to heat up just as the mod starts winding down If you haven't given it a go yet in PBEM, you should give it a try, it's lots of fun.

I loved the original WW1-Gold by AGEOD, I just unfortunately could never find a way to reliably play it in PBEM or via network. I'm a PBEM guy, I like pitting against a human opponent, so that's where the idea for modding it originally came from.

For what it's worth, I think it would be awesome to see an AGEOD WW1 game released on the 100th anniversary of the war next year

[GlobalExplorer]

If WW1 sold so well it says something very important - there are not enough good WW1 strategy games around! An AGE version of the full war, with some new features like limited air war or Revolution looming in France/Germany/Russia would be pure heaven, and in line with the greatest titles in the series (imo ACW and RuS).

I was also not aware that the AGE engine is so flexible. Simple copy the data folder to a newer game. That's very good design, especially from the modding perspective

A strange thing I noticed was that after the first time I ran the mod, it crashed with several error messages, but after the second time the problem had disappeared.

[Altaris]

Yeah, AGE engine has a really nice setup, very mod friendly. Their CSV splitter, if used properly, is a really good design tool too. I've really enjoyed modding with AGE, the design is very logical and organized, even aspects that aren't documented on the Wiki are usually designed well enough that you can piece together how they work with a little trial and error testing.

[GlobalExplorer]

How much work is left to finish this? I know it's a big project, but 10 turns feels a bit short.