[Gandalf Parker]

Scenario has a scenario command which is broken and useless. It doesnt even allow the features that it did in Dom2. You cant create "player vs AI" that work properly. I cant even upgrade the Dom2 scenarions I had. The fixes arent really major fixes. Even the wishlists mostly involve just changing a command already in the game to work somewhere else.

What I see as a problem for the use of the scenario tag is that it removes things from the game setup list that were never quite given back to us.

Using a #scenario tag on a map puts a shiny star on the map selecting list saying "this is special". The game-setup menu changes:
NOT in Scenario
----------------
Number of Starting Provinces
Strength of Independents
Special Site Frequency
Money Multiple
Resource Multiple
Supply Multiple
Random Events
Special Start Locations
Standard Research
Standard Victory
==================
IN Scenario
-----------
Score Graphs
Hall of Fame
Master Password
Renaming
Cheat Protection

The choices are fine. Those are pretty much the types of things I WOULD like to set in a scenario.

But the items removed from scenario game menu did not get added as map #commands. Nor as mod #commands. They did appear as server switches but that means that the map is only a workable full scenario if played from the server. And the nice star that it puts on the map menu, most of the people running servers never see.

Having server switches as map (maybe mod) commands would be great for making scenarios work better. The server --switches which would make good scenario #commands are:
--mapfile XXX (as a mod command, and enablemod as a map command)
--randmap X (as a mod & map command?)
--research X (map scenario)
--indepstr X (map scenario)
--magicsites X (map scenario)
--eventrarity X (remove from scenario)
--totalvp X (remove from scenario)
--capitalvp (remove from scenario)
--requiredvp X (remove from scenario)
--summervp (remove from scenario)
--richness X (map scenario)
--resources X (map scenario)
--supplies X (map scenario)
--startprov X (remove from scenario)
--nocheatdet (very much needed to make maps, and maybe mods work)
--era X (map scenario)
-M --enablemod XXX (map scenario)


Another important note is that if a god is added to the map file, and the nation isnt in the game, the game creation blows up. That means that you cant add gods for nations or eras which might not get chosen for the game. I would rather that a god added was more "used IF the nation is chosen". Putting a #computerplayer line doesnt seem to help either. I would like for #god to be split to #godai which means "add this god only if AI player". I suppose we would also need an ai version for scales also. At the moment, using a #god in the map forces the change on both AI and players.

It would be nice if #computerplayer would force the nation into the game, and remove it from the players choices.
It will put them in the game, if its a server game.
But not if its a solo or hotseat game.
And either way it will not remove it from choices.

While we are on "it would be nice" for scenarios..
We have
#nostart #start #specstart
But I have some scenarios in mind where it would I need to be able to specify those as applying only to Human or Computer players.

Map commands for temp of a province would allow for temperature zones in large maps which would be a nice addition for large scenarios.

Map commands for when you place units in a province telling them to use their special abilities might be nice. #hide, #preach, #call god, #seduce, #call followers, #instill uprising. Well mostly hide.

#makeprophet command for placing an AI unit and setting it as prophet

At the moment the "blank" nations have ALMOST enough workable defaults to play reasonably well when they are put in a game by map-accessable commands. They have a default god list, default castle structures, default starting units, default PD. Would it be possible to get some default recruitables? They dont have to be great, they can all be the same. Even just 1 commander and 1 or 2 units would help. It can even match the PD.

Gandalf Parker
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Shhhhh I can get in trouble for such a long post