GRIN Mod

[George LeS]

GRIN

GRIN ultra lite Mini-Mod (Just the leaders)

March 2010 versions (HT & IN)

This is cut down to include only leader-generating files.

It was designed for the "Leaders by Event" option, but will work just fine with the Normal option. There would be no point in using this with the Historical option.

Just DL & copy into your mod folder. Actually, (for the Ultra-Lite ONLY), as every file name begins "grles-" or "GRIN-", you could just copy into the game folder, as it will overwrite nothing. To the best of my knowledge, it should be compatible with any mod, unless there is a conflict of event numbers.

Ultra Lite includes just the .MOD file, the localisation file, & 6 event files. Of the event files, 5 are self-explanatory: Monarch Leaders, Admirals, Generals, Explorers, and Conquistadors. The fifth file, grles-322 is a file of miscellaneous leader-generating events, and provides leaders for countries by event, which is needed for that option. It is entirely compatible with the normal option, but may be deleted if one wishes.

In this file, all leaders are free of charge, except Explorers & Conquistadors, who cost much less than in the game. They do cost diplomats or colonists, and the more you have in the bank, the higher the odds will be.

Warning: the number of historical explorers will really overpower Portugal in the early game. Assuming, that is, that the AI uses them.

It also includes Historical Advisors. Here, there is one important difference: it was necessary to remove them completely from the history folders, as there is no trigger provided to check if a given advisor exists already (unlike leaders & monarchs). So you will have NO such advisors at start. But unless you start close to their death dates, they should show up by event.


Link below.


GRIN HT Lite Mod

New version posted Apr 7, 2010. Seems to be stable. Unfortunately, I haven't finished working all the Ad Infintum missions into it, although it does include the colonial sequences, plus the events & decision files.

This is about half way between the ultra-lite version, and my full intention. Since I've been unable to make the latter work, I've pared it down considerably. However, it does still include the exploration limiting features which make it frustrating, & were designed to do so.

Major features include:

-It incorporates a slightly modified version of Helius's AI mod. The only changes, IIRC, were to make it compatible with the way explorers appear and disappear, and some corrections indicated by the Validator.

-Pagans, except in Latin America, have all been changed to "shamanist", and shamanism has been set to "annex = no". This way, they will not be automatically annexable, & will not change culture on conversion.

-There is a decision which will speed up recruiting in one overseas province, at a time, provided it's not a core or has owner culture.

-March has been made much more viable. There are 5 possible results (20% each), of which just one is Decentralization. The others are Serfdom, Aristocracy, Defensive, and a Fortification Advisor. Further, the "no need" event has had its MTTH increased from 1 month to 50 years. (The Duchy of Sark did not lose its status because of Entente.)

-Unit speeds have been changed. On land they are 1.1/1.0/.9 for C-I-A. At sea, they are much slower, and light ships do not show up until about 1600.

-Advisors all have 2 effects, rather than 1.

-All archers have been given fire values.

-QFTNW, Colonial Ventures, and Press Gangs are available only after an event fires, enabling them. For the 1st two, having Land of Opportunity helps, for Press Gangs, you'll need Grand Navy first.

--- Most important of all, is the series of events killing explorers & conquistadors, intended to limit exploration & make it much diceyer. (See below.)

For the time being I've removed the full HT versions, as they are all unstable.


Link at the bottom of page.

George's Really Irritating Nautical Mod

These include all the files in the Ultra Lite versions, plus many more.

3/14/10: HT version added

My main intent in making this is to better replicate exploration and colonization. It is an adaptation of antracer's INcomplete mod; the most important changes being the addition of historical leaders and the related exploration system. The two full versions are configured for HT and IN 3.2, but with a simple change in the defines start date, will work with 3.1.

Pre-IN versions of the game will not work, as I've relied on event triggers & effects which are not available in 1.3 and 2.2.

The HT version, is untested, at the time of posting. I hope any who try it will give me feedback. I know it needs more work.

IMPORTANT: Do not, repeat, DO NOT, try this without reading at least the exploration explanations below... It is this, above all, which is the Irritating part.

NOTES:

The origins of the mod are:

First, the way I used to play EU II, with somewhat randomized arrival times for historical leaders. I found that adapting that database to EU III was very easily done. I missed these leaders in EU III, & decided to add them.

Second, the realization that doing it this way with conquistadors, and especially with explorers, is game-breaking. Even with the vanilla system, exploration and colonization runs very much ahead of reality. You can see this by loading as Portugal with a start date of 1503.1.1. By the time the last explorer dies, the only unexplored portions of the globe will be in the central Pacific. Adding them all, by event, exacerbated this. Therefore, something had to be done to limit them.

Third, I was never satisfied with the way purchase of leaders worked, and my 1st modding attempt was to generate them by event. That is, random, not historical leaders.

When I began working with antracer on TB&TB, well, my feet were firmly placed on the Primose Path...

Since I am anything but impartial, I think it is best to quote the 2 people who have given me terrific comments & advice on the mod. Here are excerpts from what they had to say.

antracer:

The format is a Short Description of any issue followed by the Level of Irritation; 1 being low and 10 being OMG WTF!!!, in ().

I thought Pirates were micro management hell... At least those were predictable.

Having to stop the world for the event, find the ships, load the explorer, send it off only to have him die in 3 days... (10)

Getting to repeat the process 4 more times in the course of a year...? (20)

For each and every explorer that I get...? (50)

This drove me nuts. Seriously nuts. And I'm already nuts to begin with...

I really got frustrated with this, and very quickly. It totally took me out of any rhythm or flow. I'd just get settled in, get things going and pop. I actually got to the point I stopped exploring...

The problem for me is that it actually DOES work, and rather well, considering.

It DOES limit you to rather historical times, and DOES make for an historically plausible
exploration.

But, I honestly have to say I don't know if I can pay the price to achieve it...

OrangeYoshi:

Well, I'd have to agree with antracer on all his points. However, I have a touch more patience, and once I get that little sea province explored, it seems like a real accomplishment. It makes exploring a bit more emotionally involved. Normally, the explorer lasts 10 years and you can go from Florida to Alaska with him. In this, it makes it so you know that you are putting money and time into something that will probably not work.

Why didn't Spain, (the first time), France, Portugal, and the Italians fund Columbus? Because they knew it would cost a lot of money, take ships and men away from the country, and that most likely they all would die as a result of their adventure. When all your money, time, and effort finally come together and you get that province or provinces discovered, it is much more fulfilling than normal exploration.

I can safely say that anything which is of value owes that value to their input, & earlier advice from, & the examples of, very many mods and modders.


What they are talking about is the way exploration is handled.

All historical explorers & conquistadors are generated by event, & then killed by other events. They will often be "resurrected" by event, & again killed. Thus it may take a given explorer 5 tries to actually discover a new seazone.

This greatly limits the time they have to explore, & thus, especially early in the game, & before you have QFTNW.

By far, the biggest thing you can do to keep them active longer, aside from QFTNW, is to keep maintenance at max. I find it helps to move the slider BEFORE clicking on the event window. The game seems to wait until the next month before taking the higher maintenance into account.

Also, for all leaders, each additional diplomat or colonist you have in the bank, will lower the MTTH for getting him.

Note that the really frustrating part is the 15th Century. Vasco da Gama gets more done than all the pre-Dias explorers combined. But then, that is as it should be.

Features are, again, the revival of historical leaders, without using that option, so you can still get leaders through event or purchase. It includes Admirals & Generals, plus all Monarchs who were, historically, also generals.

Further, all historical Explorers & Conquistadors are included. The database is drawn from IN 3.1, but also from idontlikeform's superb EU II mod, Europa Portugalis. I tried to exclude unnecessary duplications, but have undoubtably missed many.

Other points:

1. A different naval tech tree, with delayed introduction of light ships, and notably slower ship speeds, and different combat values.

2. Changes in the availability of certain ideas.

3. 2 new start dates, specifically intended to simulate the early explorations of Henrician Portugual.

4. A variant of TB&TB, most of the changes made to accomodate the changes in ship availability & values. (Only in the IN version).

Mar 2010 status:

Other changes are:

5. Different combat tables.

In the IN version, they were based on BritNavFan's constant value table, although they are not, strictly, constant. But the shock advances are very small.

In the HT version, they are based on antracer's newland table.

The naval tables are my own. I am very unsure about the HT version, & how it will work.

6. Several ideas (QFTNW, Colonial Ventures, Press Gangs) are now enabled by event.

7. Marches are changed to be much more viable.

8. Units' speeds are changed. Ships are much slower. Cavalry is given a speed of 1, Inf of 0.9, Art of 0.8. And bow units are all given fire factors, & + 1 to their maneuver values. Naval unit costs are lower, but their maintenance higher. Their build times have changed. Mercenaries have much lower maintenance.

9. Pagans have been reworked, so now only the Central and South American nations may be annexed, and have their cultures changed by conversion.

10. Forts will pop up in low-tech countries. You can never tell what you're going to face attacking pagans.

11. There is a provision for increasing native recruiting speeds in a non-core province. This can be done for only one province at any given time. It will go away when you gain a core on it, & then you can pick another.

12. Malacca's capital has been moved to Johor, so the province of Malacca can be taken by western powers, without taking the entire country. (As actually happened.)

13. There are as many features as I could include, of antracer's INC mod, and Helius's Ad Infinitum, plus I use Abominus's naval support modifier.

14. Both Colonial range and naval supply range have been shortened, especially the latter.

Many other small changes, of course.

This is anything but finished, & from any who try it, I would appreciate whatever feedback they wish. I really do not mind harsh criticism, so long as it is backed by reasons.

Blanket permission to use this in any manner is given to all.

If you wish to use it as an ideal example of How Not To Make A Mod, be my guest.

If you wish to claim it was all your idea, & I stole it, feel free to do so.

Installation is standard, in the mod folder. The file includes the mod, the .mod file, & a readme. If you'd like to try, here it is:

[OrangeYoshi]

Good to see this finally up. Now that I'm back from vacation, I might be able to help you out a little more.

Good to see it up nonetheless. Also good to see what GRIN actually stands for, as well.

[Junuxx]

I like ampersands & I really do.


Oh and can you elaborate on the changed requirements for National Ideas, especially QftNW?

[OrangeYoshi]

Originally Posted by Junuxx

Oh and can you elaborate on the changed requirements for National Ideas, especially QftNW?

(Assuming he didn't change it from the version I played a week or so ago)

For QFTNW, you now need trade tech 11 instead of just trade tech 7. That is to slow down exploration as a whole to a more historical setting, and give the historical advatage to the natually curious countries who get the explorers by event.

[George LeS]

Originally Posted by Junuxx

I like ampersands & I really do.


Oh and can you elaborate on the changed requirements for National Ideas, especially QftNW?

Why use 3 keystrokes, where 1 will do?

The major changes are:

Naval Replenishing is now available at level 9.

Press Gangs & Colonial Ventures are available only if an event fires, making them accessible. The triggers for the events are:
PG: Level 35 or Grand Navy
CV: QFTNW or Land of Opportunity.

Also, Press Gangs, I've restored to 50% bonus, from the 33% of the INc mod. But if you try dropping Grand Navy, after taking Press Gangs, you'll get nailed by event, unless you are level 35. With Col Ventures, there's no such penalty.

QFTNW is now 11, as Yoshi said. But it is not absolutely need to get historical explorers & conquistadors. But they show up sooner, & last longer, if you have it.

Ex Shipwrights changed from 11 to 15
Nav Fighting Instructions from 27 to 25

Those were just to even out the spread of ideas.

See the readme for more complete explanations.

[Junuxx]

thanks for the clarification, it does sound like an interesting set of changes.

[antracer]

Interesting is quite the understatement.

The comments above make me sound like a raving loony, which isn't that far off, but please allow me to clarify.

1stly, I did a 'never before seen it' kindof thing. I had no idea GeorgeLes would want to put up in lights... It's along the lines of what a complete newbie might think coming from vanilla after making 150 posts about how the pirate system was ticking him off, so he'd be ready to deal with it.

2ndly, my head is the problem, not the mod. It's too much for my wee little messed up walnut to handle. I honestly don't feel it will be too much for others to handle, else I'd have said 'GeorgeLes, it sucks and you should kill it now before it reproduces...'. Given better 'faculties', I could see myself using it.

The Leader generation is great, as are the table changes. Also, as Yoshi says, there is a sense of satisfaction when finally getting some headway. After awhile, the mod relaxes quite a bit and allows a little more freedom and you can explore more akin to what you're used to. It's not exactly like real life, but it sure acts like it. (did you leave the archers in...?)

The key is that it does limit you to a rather historical pattern of exploration, and it does make for a far more interesting naval game. (the sad part is if you could just set the speeds of the ships in the defines, not just the 'maneuver/tactical' speeds, it would have been far more simple and elegant.) If you really find the naval side of things interesting, it'll round out the game nicely for you.

It's definitely a new way to play, and there's alot to like, so don't go off and take my 'criticisms' too much to heart... Give it a try for yourself and then judge...

T

[[B@W] Abominus]

Great! May I use it for our "Sieg oder Tod - Mod" (German, MP)?

[George LeS]

Originally Posted by [B@W] Abominus

Great! May I use it for our "Sieg oder Tod - Mod" (German, MP)?

You may use it in any manner you wish. However, I'm not sure the exploration features would sit well in MP, given the constant pauses required. You really do need to pause, especially in the 15th C, because a day or 2 from the life of an explorer can easily mean the difference between a successful exploration & another abandoned mission.

Originally Posted by antracer

Interesting is quite the understatement.

The comments above make me sound like a raving loony, which isn't that far off, but please allow me to clarify.

1stly, I did a 'never before seen it' kindof thing. I had no idea GeorgeLes would want to put up in lights... It's along the lines of what a complete newbie might think coming from vanilla after making 150 posts about how the pirate system was ticking him off, so he'd be ready to deal with it.

2ndly, my head is the problem, not the mod. It's too much for my wee little messed up walnut to handle. I honestly don't feel it will be too much for others to handle, else I'd have said 'GeorgeLes, it sucks and you should kill it now before it reproduces...'. Given better 'faculties', I could see myself using it.

The Leader generation is great, as are the table changes. Also, as Yoshi says, there is a sense of satisfaction when finally getting some headway. After awhile, the mod relaxes quite a bit and allows a little more freedom and you can explore more akin to what you're used to. It's not exactly like real life, but it sure acts like it. (did you leave the archers in...?)

The key is that it does limit you to a rather historical pattern of exploration, and it does make for a far more interesting naval game. (the sad part is if you could just set the speeds of the ships in the defines, not just the 'maneuver/tactical' speeds, it would have been far more simple and elegant.) If you really find the naval side of things interesting, it'll round out the game nicely for you.

It's definitely a new way to play, and there's alot to like, so don't go off and take my 'criticisms' too much to heart... Give it a try for yourself and then judge...

T

I put it in there because I thought, & think, you very clearly gave the reasons I call this mod "irritating". Perhaps Higgins "exasperating, agitating, irritating, maddening & infuriating" might have been better, but it makes for a poor acronym.

There is a hint, just a small one, that we MIGHT have the ability to change the speeds of specific ship types, in HTTT. Even if we could, though, I'd hold off on introducing lights until later, for tarriff reasons.

[George LeS]

The latest, cut down version for HT is added in the 1st post. Just open it into your mod folder.

This is solely directed to leaders, & includes events creating historical leaders (including monarchs) as well as generating some randomly.

It is designed for use with the "leaders by event option", but works with the normal option as well. Just don't expect to amass much tradition, especially if your country has many leaders coming to you from the historical events.

The historical leaders, per se, work largely as originally released. The are derived from 2 databases, IN 3.1, & the EUII mod, Europa Portugalis by idontlikeforms.

The random leader generation has been changed to give better leaders to countries with 25 or 50 points of trad, although you can still get an 80-trad leader if you have 0. The primary purpose of the event is to give a lot of average-to-poor leaders. Which is, after all, what even the best armies had. The biggest effect tradition will have is that they will fire more frequently, so you will have more leaders to choose from.

I have cut a number of duplicates, and have tried to fix the localisation errors, though I am sure some remain.

Note: except for the limits on explorers' & conquistadors' activity, this does not include any of the other fixes to hold exploration to historical levels. Especially, light ships are left vastly faster than they should be, as in vanilla.

If anyone still cannot stand this feature, the relevant file is "HT XC kills.txt". You many either delete it, or use a text editor to change the mtth from "months = 1" to some larger number. Either will work fine.

My one request is that I would like feedback from anyone who tries this. As you can see from the 1st post, I am not at all put off by negative comments.

[George LeS]

The latest versions, just posted, are truly "ultra lite". They are just the leader files, with no exploration-limiting files. They will come later.

[OrangeYoshi]

Originally Posted by George LeS

The latest versions, just posted, are truly "ultra lite". They are just the leader files, with no exploration-limiting files. They will come later.

You really like the modular approach for you mod, don't you?

[George LeS]

Originally Posted by OrangeYoshi

You really like the modular approach for you mod, don't you?

Well, I think there are 3 levels to post, eventually. Leaders only (ultra lite), leaders with exploration limits, & maybe a few other things (Lite), & the whole package (GRIN).

I do note that lots of people seem to want to use historical leaders, but don't like the way that option limits them. This should solve that, anyway. (Note, the only difference between HT & IN lies in the monarch's dynasties.)

EDIT: I think I erred in not posting this way, from the start.

[George LeS]

I've now removed the full GRIN mark 1, as it's ridiculously obsolete.

For now, only the Ultra Lite is available, which I suspect is what most people might be interested in, being just the leaders, with no messing about with limiting exploration or tech tables.

I think I may have finally got an exploration system working really well, but testing is needed. If I'm happy with it, I'll put it up as "Lite". Then, of course, the full version.

[George LeS]

I'd very much appreciate it if anyone who has used this would tell me what isn't working. I've been playing with it, & sometimes I've gotten weird results. But my tests are with modded versions of what's out there.

If I can detect any improvement in the AI's explorations, I'll but out the next level up.

Thanks.

[George LeS]

I have found several errors in the mod, & will be reposting within a week. I hope I can include the exploration/colonization upgrade (LITE), as well.

[George LeS]

I think I've finally worked out all the bugs, so I should be posting this week. This'll be a fixed version of Ultra Lite, for both IN & HT. In historical advisors will also be available by event. Further, I've got my IN full version working, I think.

If anyone has any comments or criticisms, please let me know so I can take them into account.

Thanks.

[bippukt]

I can't offer any crticism, at least not an informed one

But I have to say that this is a wonderful job that you are doing. I have wanted to play with Historical leaders without the handicaps that come with it. Having done a bit of personal and relatively minor modding myself, I now know how much of an effort it takes. Thanks for the effort

[George LeS]

Since I used the IN leaders' DB, not HT, there must be some errors in there. Since I don't play HT, I haven't caught them.

[bippukt]

I think I will try to play my next HTTT game with your mod, althought it will probably not be before next week. But I don't know if it will work. After all, there weren't any heirs in IN.