Modding Charterers into the game

[LordChiasson]

I posted in the modding section but have not received a reply. I was jw is there a more detailed guide on modding EU: Rome then the one on the site? I was wanting to add my own dynasty into it but wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. I see that there is charterers in the history, would it be as simple as adding my own? Also are births and deaths already scripted in the game its not random and such like other paradox games?

 

[UniversalWolf]

Short answer: yes, it's that simple.

I'd say take a look at any dynasty that already exists in the game, find every instance of it in the data files, and use that as a template for making your own.

 

[Cheexsta]

To answer your second question, births and deaths are definitely random. Historical characters are only generated at the start of the game, but the rest of the characters are done randomly.

 

[Antonin1957]

So, related to LordChiasson's question, and to a comment I made in another thread about wishing the game had more characters, if I wanted to make sure Egypt [or any empire] has enough characters, all I have to do is add more before starting the game? Will the characters I add appear randomly, as the game progresses? Will they behave randomly? Will they marry, have children, etc?

This is a fascinating topic.

 

[Sabratha]

Ok let's use an example:

- Let's imagine you want to add Epiphanes Platonos Soter to the game (a minor Bactrian ruler in RL - gotta love the guy who names himself both "God manifest" and "savior" at the same time). You create him via the txt file and attach him to Egypt. You set him to be born in 186 BC, to die in 136 BC.

Now:
1) If you start the game in 187 BC or earlier, you will not see this character in the game. All the cahracters born since the start of the game will be randomly generated.
2) If you start the game in 135 BC or later, you may find Platonos in the dynasty as a "dearly departed ancestor".
3) If you start the game between 186 BC and 136 BC, then Platonos will be there, alive and ready to serve any function you give him.

However, once you start the game the big random event machine starts rolling. If you start the game with Platonos alive in 180 BC, then in one game he may live longer than to 136 BC, but at other times he may die early. In one game he may marry and have many sons, in others he might end up childless. Once the game starts, its all going to be influenced by random events.

 

[LordChiasson]

Alrighty thank you all for quick responses that makes it alot easier then I was thinking.

 

[Antonin1957]

Ok let's use an example:

- Let's imagine you want to add Epiphanes Platonos Soter to the game (a minor Bactrian ruler in RL - gotta love the guy who names himself both "God manifest" and "savior" at the same time). You create him via the txt file and attach him to Egypt. You set him to be born in 186 BC, to die in 136 BC.

Now:
1) If you start the game in 187 BC or earlier, you will not see this character in the game. All the cahracters born since the start of the game will be randomly generated.
2) If you start the game in 135 BC or later, you may find Platonos in the dynasty as a "dearly departed ancestor".
3) If you start the game between 186 BC and 136 BC, then Platonos will be there, alive and ready to serve any function you give him.

However, once you start the game the big random event machine starts rolling. If you start the game with Platonos alive in 180 BC, then in one game he may live longer than to 136 BC, but at other times he may die early. In one game he may marry and have many sons, in others he might end up childless. Once the game starts, its all going to be influenced by random events.

From your example of Epiphanes Platonos Soter, it would seem that the random event machine operates even though your text file includes a birth year of 186 BC and a death year of 136 BC. So, the dates in that text file [or, at least the death date] can be overriden by the random even machine, right?

What happens if you do not include dates in your text file?

Has anyone created a "random character generator" that will produce characters with random characteristics?

Also, does anyone know of a good source of character names, specifically for Ptolemaic Egypt? Not necessarily historical figures. I just want to be able to create believable characters. In my current game as Egypt, I've actually run out of chartacters. I have not been able to appoint a governor for Cyprus!

My knowledge of Ptolemaic Egypt is rather hazy. I've read a lot about Alexander and the breakup of his empire, but I'm weak on exactly how the Egyptian state evolved in the period after the 'abduction' of Alexander's body.

 

[Sabratha]

Not exactly. The random event thing starts to come into play from teh point when you begin th game. The history txt files define what has happened BEFORE you start the game.

If you start the game in 200 BC, then everything that happened up to that point will be exactly as in the txt files - Hannibal is alive, Carthage lost the 2nd punic war etc.
Now if you start the game let's say in 210 BC, then the war is still going on. From taht point it can depart from history - Hannibal can perhaps die in battle, Kart Hadasht can possibly win the war etc...

Its the same with characters. The txt files in the game's history folder define the borders, diplomatic relations and the status of all characters at the point you choose to start the game. From then on the game will be both influenced by the random events as well as your own actions.

Ptolemaic Egypt was actually one of the more stable hellenistic states. On one hand the ruling elite adopted some of the customs of native egyptians and they never faced the sort of immense instability that the Seleucid empire had. It was also one of the richest post-alexandrian states. They never faced any big externa threats other than the Seleucid empire.
On the other hand they faced some tension within the ptolemaic dynasty and in general their political aspirations were never really as far reaching as those of the Seleucids, Antipatrid or Antigonid monarchs.

The ptolemaic kingdom waged a number of wars against the Seleucid empire for control of coele syria and the levant. These came to an end as the result of the crushing defeat at Panion in 200 BC. From taht point on, Ptolemaic egypt never really playd the role of a major power and in turn became little more than another Roman client state only to be annexed by Rome in 30 BC after the death of Antonius and Cleopatra.