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

[Endoperez]

How do the god files work? I've been thinking that someone (== no one will volunteer so I'll have to do it myself) should make AI god files that only give the AI few good scales that go well together. Order 3 Production 3, Luck 3 Magic 3, etc etc. It would ensure that even if the AI designed the actual pretender, it would have some good scales as well.

[Ballbarian]

Great idea Endo!

I have not tested it in game, but you should be able to create a god file with a name like...
BARIAN_2_A_EA_

...which can be read as "Add (A) Ulm (2) for Early Age (EA)", and would only adjust the luck scales for the given nation with the code below:
#scale_unluck 2 -3

Or you could randomize the scales a little with:

@3
#scale_chaos 2 -1
#scale_chaos 2 -2
#scale_chaos 2 -3
@3
#scale_lazy 2 -1
#scale_lazy 2 -2
#scale_lazy 2 -3

#scale_unluck 2 -3


I generated the file name and code in a few seconds with the GodEditor. Let me know if that doesn't work or if I am misunderstanding how the map code for scales work.

[llamabeast]

Are there many maps around which have been SemiRandomised already? I'm trying to gather maps for the LlamaServer, so if anyone has any cool ones you think people may enjoy in MP, could they post them and let me know? That would be awesome.

This project looks like the most amazing thing, but somehow I have never gotten around to using it. I suspect it is the best kept secret in Dom3. As in, the best thing that is not universally known, rather than the secret that is kept best!

[Gandalf Parker]

I think some might have randomized some maps and uploaded them as samples.

But to me it would work better as an option. Like some of the other programs you can run against maps.
1) Select Map
1a) add AIs?
1b) Would you like it No-Independents?
1c) Would you like it as No-Water?
1d) Would you like it Semi-Randomized?
1e) Would you like it Chaoticised.

The cool thing about map changes over mods is that the players dont have to download it. If its a map they already have then the graphic is still fine. Only the server needs the new .map file. So if they ask for the Aran map, then choose a modifier, you could just run it to Aran31Jul08.map and use that one.

[llamabeast]

I will have multiple versions of many maps available, inc. NI etc.. But I can't make the server SemiRanDom a map on the fly - I mean, this is a Windows program after all.

[Ballbarian]

"RanDom" is a windows program, but "SemiRandom" is a separate program written in yabasic and should run on windows and unix. RanDom handles the building of the switches for the dom3 map generation and is a more human friendly interface for setting up the SemiRandom configuration file. So basically, any program can make the changes to the settings in the cfg file and then initiate the SemiRandom executable to generate the map file without the windows RanDom program.

If you decide to go the automated route, let me know if you need some help deciphering the configuration settings for SemiRandom. The help file that is included with it desperately needs updated.

[Ming]

When I tried to rum RanDom it says "MSCOMCTL.OCX" or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid.

Is there a fix?

[Ballbarian]

Attached to this post is a zip containing MSCOMCTL.OCX. You may be able to just drop it in the folder with RanDom.exe or it may have to be registered.

I don't have time to give more details at the moment, but will follow up after work if you have any problems or questions.

[Ming]

Ballbarian,

Thanks. Will let you know if I still have problems.

[llamabeast]

Trying to automate this sounds like great fun. Regrettably I don't think I'm going to look into it. I'm trying to finish my current set of planned features for my server and then draw a line under it, so I can concentrate on my PhD. I'm meant to hand in in 8 months. 8 months! Very scary.