A Few New Random Event Ideas

[MattyG]

Hi,

I have been giving some thought to one of the random events I never quite liked, which was the Foreign Drill Instructor. Too expensive early on, and normally useless later on, with effects that also struck me as to strong. Why, for example, would a drill instructor increase Offensive?

I did some tinkering with the effects and triggers and added two new events to cover the Offensive side of things, modelled loosely on the ideas from EU3 that peace reduces military quality, war improves it.

In the Foreign Drill Insructor, it doesn't only affect Europeans anymopre, just nations with Land 2 or greater. And I have scaled it not only for countrysize, but for time period, so it gets more expensive over the years as the general economy grows. That said, I have the event a lot cheaper.

event = {
	id = 800311
	random = yes
	trigger = {
		land = 2
		NOT = { domestic = { type = quality value = 10 }
		NOT = { countrysize = 9 }
		NOT = { year = 1470 }
	}
	name = "EVENTNAME_A22"
	desc = "EVENTHIST_A22"
	style = 0
	action_a = {
		name = "EVENT_A22_B"
		command = { type = vp value = -1 }
	}
	action_b = {
		name = "EVENT_A22_A"
		command = { type = cash value = -30 }
		command = { type = domestic which = quality value = 1 }
	}
}

Then there are the two events to cover militarism and its reverse.

#############################################
#
#  Military Ascendency by MattyG
#
#############################################

event = {
	id = 800316
	random = yes
	trigger = {
		NOT = { religion = pagan }
		[B]atwar = yes[/B]
		NOT = { domestic = { type = offensive value = 8 }
	}
	name = "Military Ascendency"
	desc = "The ongoing conflict experienced by our nation has increased the standing and internal power of the military, which now receives a greater share of attention and funding from the crown."
	
	action_a = {
		name = "It was inevitable"
		command = { type = domestic which = offensive value = 1 }
	}
}

#######################################
#
#  More Butter, Fewer Guns by MattyG
#
#######################################

event = {
	id = 800317
	random = yes
	trigger = {
		NOT = { religion = pagan }
		[B]atwar = no[/B]
		domestic = { type = offensive value = 6 }
		ai = no
	}
	name = "More Butter, Fewer Guns"
	desc = "With peace comes a lessening of the importance of the military and particularly of its readiness for war."
	action_a = {
		name = "OK"
		command = { type = domestic which = offensive value = -1 }
	}
}

 

[Sekenr]

Excellent idea. Reminds me of those military traditions concepts from EUIII.

 

[Dairpo]

Maybe it would be better if the Offensive values were switched between the two events. A country with a weaker military tradition, when fighting wars, should gain some and those with high should stand to lose it while at peace rather than lowering those with a moderate level and raising those with a high. I prefer my defensive slider anyways

 

[MattyG]

Maybe it would be better if the Offensive values were switched between the two events. A country with a weaker military tradition, when fighting wars, should gain some and those with high should stand to lose it while at peace rather than lowering those with a moderate level and raising those with a high. I prefer my defensive slider anyways

Interesting. I have not known anyone who prefers defensive. It isn't a strategy I have ever tried. The morale/leadership advantage of Offensive always seems to me too good to consider Defensive.

The trick with these events is that no random event should help you get above 7 on the sliders, so that's why the Not = 8 is there, and you need to be at war. Surely being at war is more likely to endender an offensive doctrine than being at peace?

 

[idont]

Interesting. I have not known anyone who prefers defensive. It isn't a strategy I have ever tried. The morale/leadership advantage of Offensive always seems to me too good to consider Defensive.

I like defensive too. I think the siege bonus is neat, and the shock penalty can be dealt with. This occasionally comes up the the main forum, and while most people prefer offensive, it's not unanimous.

The trick with these events is that no random event should help you get above 7 on the sliders, so that's why the Not = 8 is there, and you need to be at war. Surely being at war is more likely to endender an offensive doctrine than being at peace?

But being at war could also get people to appreciate the finer points of siege craft more, thus moving the slider to defensive.
Maybe the event should really more the quality slider, but then why should putting more emphasis on the army decrease your manpower?
Really, I dislike the idea of random events moving sliders without giving the player any choice, so I would change the events to:

event = {
    id = x1
    random = yes
    trigger = {
        NOT = { religion = pagan }
        atwar = yes
    }
    name = "Military Ascendency"
    desc = "In the ongoing conflict of our nation, our generals have learned different lessons, and want to reform our military according to their own idea of warfare. We now have to decide whose advice to take"

    action_a = {
        name = "Battles win the war"
        command = { type = domestic which = offensive value = 1 }
    }

    action_b = {
        name = "Sieges win the war"
        command = { type = domestic which = offensive value = -1 }
    }

    action_c = {
        name = "We're good as we are"
        command = { type = stability value = -1 }        #Monarch going against the will of his generals
    }
}

event = {
    id = x2
    random = yes
    trigger = {
        NOT = { religion = pagan }
        atwar = yes
    }
    name = "Military Ascendency"
    desc = "In the ongoing conflict of our nation, our generals have learned different lessons, and want to reform our military according to their own idea of warfare. We now have to decide whose advice to take"

    action_a = {
        name = "We need better troops"
        command = { type = domestic which = quality value = 1 }
    }

    action_b = {
        name = "We need more troops"
        command = { type = domestic which = quality value = -1 }
    }

    action_c = {
        name = "We're good as we are"
        command = { type = stability value = -1 }        #Monarch going against the will of his generals
    }
}

 

[MattyG]

Some good points here.

But the reason it is a forced random event is the same principle behind this feature in EU3: being at war strengthens military knowledge, preparedness, systems etc. Peacetime does the opposite: eventually, after a generation, you have troops with no combat experience led by commanders with no real command experience.

There are already a number of events that are keyed to being at war or not at war, to deliberately build in advantages and disadvantages to these states. I like the way these two events continue to build on this model.

That said, I can see how shifting Offensive upwards in war does not always make sense: what if you're a small nation on the DEfensive?

So here is another alternative: we make the QUALITY slider the one effected by being at war, not Offensive, scrapping the Foreign Drill instructor altogether.

For the 'being at war' or 'not being at war' issue, the effects ought instead to be increases and decreases in Land and Naval tech.

#########################################################################
# An army at war by MattyG
#########################################################################

event = {
	id = 800311
	random = yes
	trigger = {
		NOT = { domestic = { type = quality value = 4 }}
	}
	name = "An Army at War"
	desc = "With war comes the experience of war. Hardened veterans can be made in no other manner. The skills of command, not just the privildegs of rank, can only be gained through war. Our army has hardened itself, we are the tougher and better for it."
	
	action_a = {
		name = "Our forces have learnt much"
		command = { type = domestic which = quality value = 1 }
		command = { type = land value = 300 }
		command = { type = naval value = 300 }
	}
}

event = {
	id = 800312
	random = yes
	trigger = {
		land = 12
		domestic = { type = quality value = 4 }
		NOT = { domestic = { type = quality value = 8 }}
		NOT = { religion = pagan }
	}
	name = "An Army at War"
	desc = "With war comes the experience of war. Hardened veterans can be made in no other manner. The skills of command, not just the privildegs of rank, can only be gained through war. Our army has hardened itself, we are the tougher and better for it."
	
	action_a = {
		name = "Our forces have learnt much"
		command = { type = domestic which = quality value = 1 }
		command = { type = land value = 300 }
		command = { type = naval value = 300 }
	}
}

#############################################
#
#  Military Advances by MattyG
#
#############################################

event = {
	id = 800316
	random = yes
	trigger = {
		NOT = { religion = pagan }
		atwar = yes
	}
	name = "Military Advances"
	desc = "In the course of war much can be learnt on how better to conduct it. Our military has improved its recruitment and training and the course of battle has built a stronger officer corps."
	
	action_a = {
		name = "Excellent"
		command = { type = land value = 500 }
		command = { type = naval value = 500 }
	}
}


###############################
#
#  A Lack of Experience
#
###############################

event = {
	id = 800316
	random = yes
	trigger = {
		NOT = { religion = pagan }
		atwar = no
		land value = 12
		ai = no
	}
	name = "A Lack of Experience"
	desc = "Peace may bear many fruits, but it does not improve the readiness, experience and capacity of the military. Our veterans grow old and the young officers lack experience."
	
	action_a = {
		name = "Excellent"
		command = { type = land value = -300 }
		command = { type = naval value = -300 }
	}
}