Utility: RanDom v2.03 - Map gen & Semirandomizer... Updated

[jscott]

That did not work because the comdlg32.ocx file is not in my systems32 directory.

I used the one you sent me that I placed in my dominions3 directory and got an error that I could not register it. Research on the error indicated an elaborate fix involving permissions and regedit.

I'm giving up. Probably on Dom3 as a whole in fact. I'm not going to play MP and if the AI can't pick its dominion/scales even remotely intelligently, then I don't know why I'm bothering to play SP.

[Ballbarian]

Attached to this post are 32 new GOD pretender files and an updated Nations.cfg file in zip format.

NewGods.zip

To apply:
Paste the new Nations.cfg file in your SemiRandom directory. (This updates SemiRandom/RanDom2 to include the new Dominions3 v3.15 nations.)
Paste the 32 ".god" files into your SemiRandom/GOD_BIN directory and add the following lines to GodList.txt (located in your SemiRandom/LIST_CRATE directory):

BARIAN1_13_A_EA_
BARIAN2_13_A_EA_
BARIAN3_13_A_EA_
BARIAN4_27_A_MA_
BARIAN5_28_A_MA_
BARIAN6_29_A_MA_
BARIAN7_30_A_MA_
BARIAN8_31_A_MA_
BARIAN9_14_A_EA_
BARIAN10_32_A_MA_
BARIAN11_33_A_MA_
BARIAN12_34_A_MA_
BARIAN13_35_A_MA_
BARIAN14_36_A_MA_
BARIAN15_37_A_MA_
BARIAN16_38_A_MA_
BARIAN17_39_A_MA_
BARIAN18_40_A_MA_
BARIAN19_41_A_MA_
BARIAN20_42_A_MA_
BARIAN21_43_A_MA_
BARIAN22_44_A_MA_
BARIAN23_46_A_MA_SEA_
BARIAN24_47_A_MA_SEA_
BARIAN25_48_A_MA_SEA_
BARIAN26_69_A_MA_
BARIAN27_27_A_MA_
BARIAN28_29_A_MA_
BARIAN29_30_A_MA_
BARIAN30_31_A_MA_
BARIAN31_32_A_MA_
GANDALF1_40_A_MA_

These are new and were not included in RanDom version 203.

[Ballbarian]

Attached to this post are 66 (number 7 was missing from my pack) new GAN province files in zip format created and contributed by Foodstamp.

JasonGanSet.zip

To apply:
Paste the 66 ".gan" files into your SemiRandom/GAN_BIN directory and add the following lines to GanList.txt (located in your SemiRandom/LIST_CRATE directory):

JASON1_U_R_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON2_U_A_OR_PLN_EMT_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_S_
JASON3_U_R_WST_L_
JASON4_U_A_OR_PLN_MNT_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON5_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON6_U_A_OR_PLN_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON8_U_A_OR_PLN_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON9_U_A_OR_PLN_SEA_DEP_EMT_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_ S_N_L_
JASON10_U_A_OR_MNT_S_N_L_
JASON11_M_A_OR_PLN_EMT_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON12_U_A_OR_PLN_FST_S_N_L_
JASON13_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON14_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON15_U_A_OR_MNT_SWP_FST_S_N_L_
JASON16_LK_U_R_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON17_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON18_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON19_U_R_OR_SWP_S_N_L_
JASON20_M_A_DS_
JASON21_IS_U_R_
JASON22_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON23_CLD_U_A_N_
JASON24_CLD_U_A_N_
JASON25_CLD_U_R_WST_N_
JASON26_U_A_OR_PLN_MNT_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON27_U_A_OR_PLN_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON28_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON29_U_A_OR_EMT_MNT_FST_S_N_L_
JASON30_CLD_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON31_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON32_U_A_OR_PLN_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON33_U_A_OR_EMT_MNT_S_N_L_
JASON34_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_WST_S_N_L_
JASON35_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON36_TMP_U_A_OR_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON37_TMP_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON38_HOT_U_R_OR_EMT_MNT_S_N_L_DS_
JASON39_U_A_OR_PLN_L_
JASON40_TMP_U_A_OR_PLN_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON41_TMP_U_A_OR_PLN_SWP_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON42_TMP_U_R_OR_PLN_N_L_
JASON43_CLD_U_A_MNT_S_
JASON44_TMP_U_A_FST_N_
JASON45_TMP_U_A_SWP_N_
JASON46_U_A_S_
JASON47_CO_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON48_HOT_VC_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON49_VL_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON50_U_A_OR_SEA_WTR_S_N_L_
JASON51_CLD_U_A_CAV_N_
JASON52_TMP_U_A_FST_N_
JASON53_U_A_WTR_S_
JASON54_M_A_OR_EMT_S_N_L_
JASON55_U_A_WST_WTR_S_
JASON56_U_A_OR_EMT_FST_WTR_S_N_L_
JASON57_M_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON58_M_A_OR_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON59_M_A_OR_CAV_S_N_L_
JASON60_M_A_OR_EMT_S_N_L_FS_
JASON61_VC_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON62_CO_U_A_L_ES_
JASON63_U_A_EMT_FST_L_WS_NS_
JASON64_PN_M_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON65_U_A_EMT_FST_S_
JASON66_U_A_OR_S_N_L_DS_
JASON67_U_A_OR_S_N_L_BS_


These are new and were not included in RanDom version 203.

Foodstamp has done a great job with this set. It has a nice mix of beefy, hard to tackle provinces and nice thematic additions to the standard fare. Very cool.

[Ballbarian]

Attached to this post is an updated Nations.cfg file which brings nation selections up to dominions version 3.17.

NationsCfg317.zip

To apply:
Paste the Nations.cfg file into your dominions3\SemiRandom folder.

This replaces the Nations.cfg that was included in RanDom v203.

[Ming]

Hi, this is my first visit to this thread. Could someone tell me what GAN province files are? Do I need it for using RanDom? Any instructions for using RanDom would also be appreciated although I can probably figure out how to use it on my own eventually.

[Panpiper]

I've gone through two previous generations of much enjoying Dominions. The first was a couple years back with Dominions2, then again last year with Dominions3, both times spending months playing nothing but. Now I am again with a game computer and am back at it. The previous couple of times I used SemiRandom extensively to generate more interesting content for the maps I was playing on (single player). Faerun was my favorate, SemiRandom having created a very interesting and extensive set of improved provinces, SemiRandom having added 122 'gan' files to it. This was with version 0.95. I've attached it here just in case anyone wants it.

Now however I just tried it with Thrall's really amazing map, Latus. SemiRandom version 1.06 adds all of four gan files! I tried with with the old unmodified Faerun map just to see what would happen and with that old file it now adds also only 4 gan files. Setting fiddlePercent from 100 to 100000 doesn't change anything. Dropping it to just one will result in three gan files.

Obviously I am a clueless sort. Could you give me one?

[Ballbarian]

Could someone tell me what GAN province files are? Do I need it for using RanDom?

GAN province files are simple text files with the extension changed in honor of good 'ol Gandalf Parker. SemiRandom (a separate program written in yabasic that RanDom uses), was inspired by many of his ideas and random thoughts.

The GAN files contain map code for custom provinces and the file name itself acts as a filter that SemiRandom uses to determine where to place the province in the modified map file. SemiRandom and the GAN files only come into play if you use the 'Semi Randomize' button in RanDom. SemiRandom and the base GAN files are included in the RanDom zip. Additional files and patches can be found in the first post.

Any instructions for using RanDom would also be appreciated although I can probably figure out how to use it on my own eventually.

From the ReadMe document:

[Execute] to run the Dominions3 random map generator with the settings that you have specified.

[Semi Randomize] to run the SemiRandomizer. The modified map file will have '_SR' appended to the file name and can be found in your dominions3\SemiRandom directory. Just copy/paste this '.map' file into your dominions3\maps directory to make it available for play. (In the future I hope to fix this so that it will be moved automatically.)

[Save Settings] to save your favorite map settings for future use, or to share with others.

[Load Settings] to load map settings from previous sessions, or those of other users.

As you may have noticed, the documentation is not very extensive. Unless someone beats me to it, I will try to post a little more in depth instructions when I get home from work tonight. It is pretty straight forward once you get the hang of it. Be prepared for a little trial and error to get the map that you want. I recommend defining some very small map sizes with mid level province counts in the beginning so that map generation times are low until you get the colors and settings like you want them.

[Endoperez]

Ming said:
Hi, this is my first visit to this thread. Could someone tell me what GAN province files are? Do I need it for using RanDom? Any instructions for using RanDom would also be appreciated although I can probably figure out how to use it on my own eventually.

They are like the special provinces you sometimes meet in maps. Cyclops, hammer and a special site, or a sorceress and a robe, or couple of Wind Mages. Because they're player-made, and have to be mod-free, they won't use unique units or items or sites.

I did some. Others were quite powerful, and others were simpler. I think I did something Camelot-like, and probably a Robin Hood province with a Longbowman and a Monk and perhaps some Rangers and Woodsmen and other fun stuff.

[Ming]

Endoperez,

Thanks for the explanation. A follow-up question: if I just want to give the AI better Pretender/scale settings I don't have to worry about GAN files, right?

I'll start to play around with RanDom and see if I can get it to work. Thanks for drawing this excellent program to my attention (and thanks to Ballbarian for writing it and Gandalf for the idea).

[Panpiper]

From the readme files included in the zip:
Ok, here is a line by line map of the SemiRandom.cfg:
1. Path$ > Path used by SR to find your gan & data files.
2. fiddlePercent > Percent of provinces in the selected map file to attempt to modify.


This is what messed me up. Your posting of those lines from the SemiRandom 107 code did the trick. The above would indicate that the second line in the .cfg file defines the percentage of provinces modified. In fact it is the third line. I shall now be able to hack, thank you.

(And I really mean it with a big thank you. The work some people have done to make my life happier really astounds me sometimes.)