Utility: No Indies map generator

[JayThomas]

Here is a small Windows program that basically removes independents from a map, with a twist; you can set a percentage probability for a province to get a population type. The type is picked randomly from a list of pop types for that terrain. Then the program saves a new map file appending the appropriate #poptype for each province. The new map file will have the original file name with "_NI" appended. Also, the map title within the file will change so that the NI file will appear in the Dominions map selection screen separately from the original map file.

The program will work with Balbarians semi-random .map files.

When the .map file is read, any detected GAN files are stored separately. Those provinces are not over-ridden by the appended #poptype statements to preserve any special population settings.

It needs some refining but I've used it on several maps with success. Militias, slingers and the like still appear from time to time. This is probably from GAN provinces. Since I used #nostart as a GAN detection criteria, maps using #nostart without GANs can still contain the low level recruits. The AI armies seem much more nation specific now.

This program is written in C# using .NET2. It's in a zip file. Unzip and install anywhere, it doesn't need to be in the dominions3 or map directories. All my computes have .Net2 on them, so I don't know what happens if .Net is not installed on the target computer. I'd appreciate anyone experiencing this situation to let me know.

I would like to thank Edi for his database since his sweat and toil saved me considerable time and effort.

NOTE: Currently, only three poptypes are in the list to be randomly assigned for each terrain type (three per terrain type). They are roughly types I thought appropriate for the terrain.

[Edi]

Ah, more useful tools, which is always nice. Automation like this is very good. You're welcome, by the way.

[rcook12a]

This is an excellent editor. On my first use I left the percentages too high; 30% I think and the computer had armies of Troglodytes, Trolls and Raptors.
Lesson learned turn the percentages down so there aren't so many provinces with the cool indies you populated in there.

Also undersea about 60% are Tritons, 30% Amberclan and 10% Shamblers. Seems like there are alot more underwater indies available, no mermen though.

Regards

[Gandalf Parker]

Interesting.

I think Id call it a "Partial Indies" map generator. A No-Indies doesnt really need generating. The person creating the map can just add a no-indie version to the zip. It stays the same all the time.

But there was a definite need for partial indies. People seem to find that enjoyable. Less micro-management and better AI players. But the map gets known after a few plays so I figured it would be a server thing to provide fresh versions.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=46306
I was considering an exe also.

But Im confused about assigning indies. On my versions, I just go thru the provinces and clear them, with a percentage chance of skipping it. By not clearing a percentage of provinces I leave them to the game to assign. This allows for some small variations between play. And for the game to do its preferences as far as EA, MI, and LA ages. Did you not prefer the games assignments? Were the indie choices based on good AI player use?

[Makinus]

I tried to use your utility with the latest CBM + single age mod and it changes all pops to Firbolg (spelling?)...

BTW, even with 0% chance of pop the utility still says that some indepentends are being generated...

Can anyone indicate how to make a map to have 0 independents? I wish for myself and the AI to only have their own units available....

[Kobal2]

Originally Posted by Makinus

I tried to use your utility with the latest CBM + single age mod and it changes all pops to Firbolg (spelling?)...

BTW, even with 0% chance of pop the utility still says that some indepentends are being generated...

Had the same problem. Open up the generated map file and replace all instances of '#poptype 89' with '#poptype 99' (without the quotes), this should remove the firbolgs.

As for the second one, no real solution but you can click on "set pop types" until it's 0 everywhere. That being said, it's really not much trouble to make pure NI maps without automation - all you need to do is append a list of

#setland XX
#poptype 99

at the end of the file, where XX goes from 1 to the last province number. If you're not sure exactly how many provinces there are check earlier in the file, they're all defined in the #landname #terraintype block.
Even by hand this takes about 5 minutes, tops.

[Makinus]

Thanks Kobal! That did the trick.....

[Gandalf Parker]

Sorry Im late. I dont get on as often as I used to.
http://www.dom3minions.com/files/NI_map.txt
trim as needed