How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Per title, how do I add and delete units from a nation?

For instance, I am sick of Hinnom giants eating population, so I am planning on getting rid of the giant units and replacing them with the giant units from Ashdod.

Thanks a bunch!

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Seriously, RTFM with the modding manual already! The nation modding section.

From all that can be seen on the forums, you do not even try to find out anything for yourself, but expect all answers to be provided ready-made to you on a platter. And it's a new thread for everything, which clutters up the forums. You could post just one thread titled "My questions on modding" or something and then post all the questions there.

Everything that you need for this is in the modding manual and all the answers that you need for this particular question, every single one, are found in the nation modding section and specifically the unit list commands.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I think I've helped enough with the last similar (easily found in manual) question you asked. Listen to Edi, the docs files are with the game read them a few times dammit.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Or if you are one of those who gets a feel for things from looking at the code examples, then download a bunch of the other mods.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Good point Gandalf.. I usually open up the Skaven mod cus loads of commands are used there (I know in otehr too but I'm just using the skaven one) especially the whole nation modding stuff. I just copy so I only have to change numbers and text :D

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Man there's been a rash of people asking irritating questions lately. I've been acting like a bit of a git to them, but in all fairness, why should I or anyone else do anything to help people who refuse to help themselves?

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I dont know why you would. Not sure if I could answer for others.

But it is an old subject. At least as old as programming, and possibly older than that. Some people just tend to learn a subject from side angles. There are those who have no idea they WANT to become a ((programmer/modder/hacker/etc) until they get at least one project under their belt that they can be proud of. They have a specific goal in mind and just want to know how to do it rather than "properly learn" how themselves. Along the way to their goal they might actually learn the subject and become a (whatever) and sometimes they just get their project done then are happy with that.

Gandalf Parker

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Hang in there Epaminondas. Sometimes half of the battle is figuring out where to find the answers you need. The manual will answer many of your questions (and probably generate new ones that you haven't thought of yet), and the adobe pdf map editing and modding documents can be found in your \dominions3\doc folder.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Mea culpa.

I recognize I've been asking what seems like elementary questions to you experts, but in my defense 1) Dominions III is a vastly complex game and the modding aspects seem equally formidable, and 2) I am a stereotypical tech-illiterate whose only facility with a computer (or anything related to it) is strictly limited to surfing the web, writing word documents, and playing games. So forbear, please! :)

Ok, so I did try to study the modding manual and have sort of gotten the hang of how to add and delete units.

But some problems and further perplexities have cropped up:

1. Is there a faster way to delete units than clearing the entire roster of a nation's recruitable units as the modding guide implies? That method seems very inefficient.

2. It appears that I cannot clear the sacred units from the roster, even if I delete the entire roster of recruitable units. Am I mistaken?

3. Finally, when I add some units whose unit name belongs to multiple nations, I often end up getting the wrong unit added--even if it's the right #. For instance, I am playing around with Early Era Ermor, and cleared the roster of recruitable units, because the nations has too many useless chaff units that I'd never use (anything below Principe, that is). But when I add the units back, I end up getting the Late Era Ermor units of the same name, even if I put in the correct #s for the Early Era units I want. Any way around this issue?

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Commendable progress. I have found that the best way to learn how to mod is to study the dm files of some mods. Amos and Sombe are two mod masters and I think they have the best and most clever mods, so look at their work.

The answers to your questions are:
1. No. You may think it inefficient, but it takes everyone weeks to make a mod. The five minutes you spent isn't a drop.

2. The sacred units and probably a commander are made available from one or more of the magic sites associated with a nation. Click on the sites in your capital and you will see that they say something like "allows recruitment of Merlin". These are the sacreds you cannot get rid of. (This is the mechanism used to limit recuitables to your capital throughout the game.) The only way around this is to specify new starting magic sites for the nation. Every good mod makes new start sites and it is easy to copy the format. And if you make your own start sites, you can more generous with gold/gems/resources if you want.

3. It sounds like you are using unit names, not unit id#s to get this effect. The game often reuses unit names throughout the eras but uses different ids. If you are using id #'s then you are making a mistake somewhere. Download EDI's database and there is a page with army lists for all nations/all eras. That will resolve this difficulty.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

while we are asking questions:

can you give non-commanders onebattlespells (and will they work, I'm thinking on a simple airshield for a trooper)

I thought I'd read something about holy onebattlespells but I can't find it now
Can you give fanatisicm as onebattlespell (the mage with this would have holy magic, just not H4)

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

#onebattlespells are commander only.

Epaminondas:

When you view a unit's description, press Shift + i to see it's ID. That will make it much easier to control which units to add after #clearnation.


Commands like this won't work:

#addrecunit "Standard Bearer" 1

The commands only accept one type of input. If it's the unit's name, it must be written correctly in quotes. If it's the unit's ID, there's text. Two examples of correct "grammar":

#addrecunit "Standard Bearer"
#addrecunit 1


It might be possible to clear sites. That way, you wouldn't have to mod new sites, you could just clear the existing sacreds from Hinnom's starting sites.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

You can clear sites by simply selecting them, then putting five commands on them and using #end. It'll overwrite the defaults.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Hey Edi, maybe the manual should state which commands are for commanders only... I wasn't sure about the onebattlespell and now I think of it I've created units with shapeshifting.. they aren't easy to get and I haven't tested them yet.. but I fear my siege tank can't shapechange into siegemode at will... right?

just an idea .. maybe make some symbol for commander only commands and put that in the guide.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

All commands that would require active direction from player (shapechange, makemonster etc) are only useful for commanders. If you GoR a unit with those abilities, then you can use them on the GoRed one. Everything else should work just fine with regular units, though I'm not certain about #onebattlespell. No reason that I can see why it wouldn't work, though.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

As far I know, non-commander units do not have magic.

When making the unit you can place the #onebattlespell command, but it should have no effect. When you GOR the unit, it may come into play.

One thing that will work (sort of) is to make the unit a recruitable unit and then make a spell to summon it as a commander. Or the reverse if you want.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Onebattlespell doesn't work for non commanders afaik. This is because they can't cast spells, probably.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I see. I have been putting in "name" and #. But that's what the mod manual seems to prescribe. Perhaps the direction there was not so clear.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Great. That seems to work.

Also, is there a 3-unit limit on the # units/commanders a magic site can hold? If I try to put more than 3, I seem to get an error.

But of course I may be doing something else wrong as well...

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

It seems like Edi's data base is a faster way to look up units. So I've been using that instead of doing shift + i.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

A site can only have up to five features. Generating X gems of type Y is a feature, allowing the recruitment of a creature is another. That's how Edi's suggestion "clears" a site - the existing features are replaced.

Your site probably generates two types of gems, so only three additional units fit.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Sites have a max of 5 commands. That includes gems, resources, gold, homemon, homecom.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

[quote=Epaminondas;637374

Also, is there a 3-unit limit on the # units/commanders a magic site can hold? If I try to put more than 3, I seem to get an error.

But of course I may be doing something else wrong as well...[/QUOTE]

The sites have a known limit of 5 lines among #gems, #gold,#reccomm etc.

I am unaware of there specifically being a limit of 3 units, but do not discount the possibility either. If you have discovered a new limit please confirm.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

WOW. Everyone jumped on this one simultaneously.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

[quote=Edratman;637389]I must've hit the 5-feature limit, as I was trying to add stuff to Mount Cephalos (which has 2 gems and Oreiad, Wind Lord, and Wind Rider).

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I agree when I mod his DB is always open in the background

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I am a fanatic when I get into games, but the passion and the dedication required to create something like that is simply mind-boggling.

Regardless, humanity benefits from such labors :)

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Like Aezeal said, ALWAYS.

I doubt if I could have even completed the first, most elementary one without it.

Epam, also send a thanks to Edi.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

As a sidenote, I very rarely use Edi's db. But when I do need to get certain obscure information, like the weapon ID for twin spear, it definitely does the trick.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong here?

I also want to boost province test, so I wanted to see if I can change the Early Arco province defense to Hoplite (I moved them to EA) and Agema Companions (I moved them too).

So I put:

#selectnation 0
#defcom1 746
#defcom2 242
#defunit1 14
#defunit2 1553
#defmult1 4
#defmult2 4
#end

I thought the above cleared the default Early Arco province defense, but the result is that--while I do get the Hoplites and Agemas, and the new commanders are there too--the default province defense (that is, Cardaces, Slingers, and Peltasts, but no Myrmidons?) also seems to be around.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Because those were the original #defunit1b and #defunit2b units. You haven't overwritten them.

This is still all in the mod manual.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Ok, I put something on the 1b and 2b slots as well, but still ended up getting unwanted slingers.


#selectnation 0
#defcom1 746
#defcom2 242
#defunit1 14
#defunit1b 16
#defunit2 1553
#defunit2b 1078
#defmult1 20
#defmult1b 20
#defmult2 20
#defmult2b 20

Is there somewhere else other than page 13 I should be looking at here?
#end

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I am looking at page 101 of the manual where it lists EA Arco PD, and Slingers aren't even listed! I don't get it...

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I'm 95% sure that with that code, you are defining everything that comes up from PD. So the slingers are either in that code, or aren't in the PD.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Unfortunately, Slingers are not in the code. Could it be that the game automatically confers a weak missile unit to all PDs?

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

I seem to remember that in some cases, there are three types of units available from certain levels of PD. The mod commands don't handle that, and they aren't listed in the manual. I'm not sure when I read this.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Some nations do indeed have three tyupes of units in PD, usually low quality stuff. Those seem to be hardcoded. It's possible to mod two types of units into PD, but not three.

I'm not sure if #clearrec will also clear PD for a nation. It might be worth a try.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

That explains it. Thanks!

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

This is news to me. The 5% I mentioned that I can't be sure I know.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

2 related questions:

1. Is there a way to get rid of a spell entirely? Now, I understand how to make a spell un-researchable. But what of spells that I don't like that are embedded on items?

2. Also, how do I get rid of items entirely? I am sick of my commanders getting saddled with cursed items.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

1) Spells embedded in items are there to stay unless you disable the item
2) Set item's construction level to 12 (unforgeable artifact). Of course, they may appear randomly on indie commanders, but at least the AI won't be making them.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

You could mod the spell to have no effect. The spell on the item that bothers you, I mean.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Fantastic. Thanks!

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Can you increase points saved for Imprisoned Pretenders? For instance, I'd like to give an extra 50 or 100 points in exchange for the lengthy dormancy penalty.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

No. That is hard coded.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Shucks :(

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Is it possible to mod out specific event--namely the events that give me militia or other low level units? In a big map and with Luck 3, they occur too frequently, and it's sometimes hard to get them to the front for suicide missions--resulting them eating up too much supplies and upkeep! :(

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Also, is it the case that I don't get the special effects of an armor if I give them to non-commander units? For instance, I gave Myrmidons Fire Plate, but I don't see the fire resistance applied on the unit description screen.

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

Two posts.

Answer to first post: No.

A unit does not get the benefit of an item when it is made part of base equipment. You get the armor value, for this example, but any special properties are not granted..

Re: How do I add and delete units from a nation?
 

As Edratman said, the ability isn't granted. EA Caelum Eagle Kings have Fire Plates, so you can compare to them.

As Myrmidons are units, you can give them 50% fire resistance. They'll keep it even if their armor is destroyed or they're made commanders and equipped with different armor, but those are special cases and not that important, really.