AE Scenario Conversion: Cradle

[Ekmek]

Of course I was also looking to do this for Cradle but found that the files have prefixes like CRAB_, CRA_, and CRAG_ which files are used. Maybe Hexagonian can enlighten me as to which ones.


If your wondering why I need to know, the scenarios use the regular file names and when a scenario is loaded it looks in the scenario folder first then to the main folder. So to convert our favorite mods they need to have the prefixes removed.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by E
Of course I was also looking to do this for Cradle but found that the files have prefixes like CRAB_, CRA_, and CRAG_ which files are used. Maybe Hexagonian can enlighten me as to which ones.


If your wondering why I need to know, the scenarios use the regular file names and when a scenario is loaded it looks in the scenario folder first then to the main folder. So to convert our favorite mods they need to have the prefixes removed.

I have never played with the Cradle Mod but I think that a given set of files with an appropriate extension is used when you are selecting the game you want to play through Modswapper.

For example, I suppose that the files named CRAG_ are used when you select to play Cradle with a Gigantic map.

[Maquiladora]

To get Cradle III working with the AE you just need to extract the Cradle folder to a separate data folder. These are my folders in the CtP2 folder:

CradleIII
ctp2_data
ctp2_program
etc...

So the CradleIII folder is just like a ctp2_data folder, with the "default" and "english" folders in there.

Then you need to tell the game to load CradleIII for it's data first, rather than the original ctp2_data. You do this by editing this line in \ctp2_program\ctp\userprofile.txt:

RuleSets=

and change it to:

RuleSets=..\..\CradleIII

You'll know if it worked as the title screen will be the Cradle screen, just like you had loaded it with modswapper. The benefit of using the ruleset option rather than modswapper is obviously you don't need to extract the CradleIII folder into your default ctp2_data folder. And you don't need to install modswapper.

[EPW]

RuleSets=..\..\CradleIII

This doesn't work for me. I have to point it to ..\..\CradleIII\ctp2_data

[EPW]

Maq...you left out some rather critical information...

You need to rename one of the CRADLE_III[C-E]_gamefile.txt to gamefile.txt. I'm not sure what the differences are between the different gamefiles, but one of them needs to be changed.

Also, CRARR4C_newsprites.txt needs to be renamed newsprites.txt. Apparently the newsprites file isn't loaded through the gamefile.txt file.

[Maquiladora]

This doesn't work for me. I have to point it to ..\..\CradleIII\ctp2_data

If default and english are the only folders inside CradleIII it should work. I noticed in the CradleIII download zip file it's zipped up like "call to power 2\ctp2_data\" so maybe you extracted it straight from that.

Maq...you left out some rather critical information...

Oops, yeah I forgot, there are a couple of hurdles at first.

You need to rename one of the CRADLE_III[C-E]_gamefile.txt to gamefile.txt. I'm not sure what the differences are between the different gamefiles, but one of them needs to be changed.

It should say on the 3rd to bottom line of each which Cradle set up they're for.

[Maquiladora]

You might also have to disable diplomod, but it's implemented in the source code now anyway IIRC.

[EPW]

You might also have to disable diplomod, but it's implemented in the source code now anyway IIRC.

I just got an "array index out of bounds" error from diplomod.

[EPW]

CRASH!!!

  0x006dd325  [Ins_DELTAP + 0x2b]
  0x0000000f  [__safe_se_handler_count + 0xf]
  0x00552c30  [?Serialize@DiplomacyProposalRecord@@QAEXAAVCivArchive@@@Z + 0x2a0]
  0x0003f3e8  [_fltused + 0x35b72]

I got a similar crash when playing the CTC mod with the AE. I think it has to do with sending non-existent diplomatic proposals.

[Maquiladora]

CRASH!!!

OH NOES!

Did you disable diplomod?

[EPW]

Yeah.

[EPW]

After running cradle with the debug version, I can safely say that there are ALOT of issues to be resolved.

[Maquiladora]

Why did you run it in debug? You can find lots of issues using debug with the original game.

[EPW]

Because I can't get passed the crash I posted above. Seems to have something to do with the # of governments loaded from the strategies.txt file, but I can't figure it out.

[Maquiladora]

Because I can't get passed the crash I posted above. Seems to have something to do with the # of governments loaded from the strategies.txt file, but I can't figure it out.

Maybe edit strategies.txt like the AE. Rather than only putting in what governments you want that strategy to use, put in ALL the governments for each strategy, but in the order you want them to be used. I think I had this problem too.

[EPW]

You were right! That's one crash down. (it would be nice if you shared any other such information Maq )

Next up, I get a ton of slic errors from the mod_UnitAttack function. Says the "pla" is noname or some such thing.

[Maquiladora]

You were right! That's one crash down. (it would be nice if you shared any other such information Maq )

I noticed that making the AE Mod, so I totally forget it here. Maybe Martin can think of anything else we might need convert.

Next up, I get a ton of slic errors from the mod_UnitAttack function. Says the "pla" is noname or some such thing.

That's gotta be the unit training mod, sounds like a syntax error got added somewhere, since I know it works with the AE. This is why testing with debug slic=yes is a good idea. Does it tell you what file and line it's on?

[EPW]

That's gotta be the unit training mod, sounds like a syntax error got added somewhere, since I know it works with the AE. This is why testing with debug slic=yes is a good idea. Does it tell you what file and line it's on?

No, I've confirmed that it is an event error. It happens only with debugslicevent on. It occurs for both mod_UnitAttack and mod_UnitDefense.

Here's a cool screen shot I took on turn 150 with only AIs playing. Pretty impressive!

[Maquiladora]

No, I've confirmed that it is an event error. It happens only with debugslicevent on. It occurs for both mod_UnitAttack and mod_UnitDefense.

Strange, I got no errors testing the training mod with debug slic=yes. Edit: Oh wait, debugslicevents, I don't like those.

Here's a cool screen shot I took on turn 150 with only AIs playing. Pretty impressive!

Orange got ate up pretty bad, after only 150 turns too. Nice.

[EPW]

I got a slic error in CRASL_homegaurd, event CRA_MilitiaCityDestroyed on line 213. Says -1 is not a valid player index.

Also in the same file, on line 259 in CRA_MilitiaCity, got an "Array index 1 out of bounds" error.

[Maquiladora]

I got a slic error in CRASL_homegaurd, event CRA_MilitiaCityDestroyed on line 213. Says -1 is not a valid player index.

I'm not sure what is wrong, it looks it could happen if that was the player's last unit. Either way I might prefer to do it like this:

// if city is destroyed (from hunger or war), kill all Militia units
HandleEvent(KillCity) 'CRA_MilitiaCityDestroyed' pre {
unit_t	tmpUnit;
city_t	tmpCity;
int_t	i;
int_t	tmpPlayer;

	tmpPlayer = player[0];

	for(i = GetUnitsAtLocation(city[0].location)-1; i >= 0; i = i - 1) {
		GetUnitByIndex(tmpPlayer, i, tmpUnit);
		if (CRA_IsMilitia(tmpUnit.type)) {
			KillUnit(tmpUnit);
		}
	}
}

Using a for loop cycling backwards instead of a while loop means it won't cause problems when something is removed from it, in this case a unit. This also doesn't cycle through all the player's units, just the ones on the tile. Untested so may not work as advertised.

Also in the same file, on line 259 in CRA_MilitiaCity, got an "Array index 1 out of bounds" error.

That might be because CTC_PLAYER_COUNT is already used as a global in the code, since it's only a local variable on that line, so just rename it.

[EPW]

This is turn 235 of a 2-player AI-only Cradle game with Frenzy DISABLED. Sadly, most of the Roman empire revolts the next turn.

[Maquiladora]

This is turn 235 of a 2-player AI-only Cradle game with Frenzy DISABLED. Sadly, most of the Roman empire revolts the next turn.

I assume they're way over their city cap? You should add the "TOO_MANY_CITIES" strategy to Cradle if that's the case.

[EPW]

Using a for loop cycling backwards instead of a while loop means it won't cause problems when something is removed from it, in this case a unit. This also doesn't cycle through all the player's units, just the ones on the tile. Untested so may not work as advertised.

This fix appears to work, at least I havn't got the error yet.

That might be because CTC_PLAYER_COUNT is already used as a global in the code, since it's only a local variable on that line, so just rename it.

This didn't work.

And the mod_UnitAttack/Defend errors came back with a vengence when I played a single turn for the AI - even with debugslicevents off...

[Maquiladora]

This didn't work.

Did you change every instance of CTC_PLAYER_COUNT in that event handler?

And the mod_UnitAttack/Defend errors came back with a vengence when I played a single turn for the AI - even with debugslicevents off...

Errors that weren't debug slic event popups of before? What did they say?

[EPW]

Did you change every instance of CTC_PLAYER_COUNT in that event handler?

Yes

Errors that weren't debug slic event popups of before? What did they say?

Same popup as before, except the occurred during combat this time.

[Maquiladora]

Next up, I get a ton of slic errors from the mod_UnitAttack function. Says the "pla" is noname or some such thing.

Does it point to any line or file?

[EPW]

In object mod_UnitAttack, variables 'mod_UnitAttack#pl' and 'noname' are of different types.

Maybe its because I changed players during play?

[Maquiladora]

Maybe its because I changed players during play?

pl is the owner of the unit being modified. I thought mod_UnitAttack was a built-in function, so I thought didn't need to pass the function parameter through a local variable, like you have to with user functions. But that may be the case. It's worth a try either way.

In each mod unit function you'll find this kind of part:

	u = att;
	pl = att.owner;

and need to change it to this:

	u = att;
	pl = u.owner;

and do that for the 3 mod unit functions. I'm just guessing here though, I usually make my code work through immense trial and error.

[EPW]

That appears to have fixed it, more testing needed though.