A Guide to the export_descr_buildings.txt file

By Mythic Commodore

This guide assumes that you have unpacked the data files using the method found
here.

Once you have successfully created your own units, you may be wondering how to get them into the campaign. Or perhaps you want to edit a particular building to fit your exact needs – maybe make it stronger, weaker, or more unique. This is the guide for you. First, a word on the way that the game handles buildings. Buildings are in “lines” such as the “Cannons” line. Each line is a group of buildings that have similar functions and are upgradeable from one to the next. For example, the
“Cannons” line consists of the Gunsmith, Cannon Maker, Cannon Foundry, and Royal Arsenal. Once you have built a Gunsmith in one of your cities, then you can upgrade it into a Cannon Maker, then a Cannon Foundry, and so on. When you convert a city to a castle or vice versa, some lines have a corresponding line in the castle which they switch to. If there is no corresponding line, then they are destroyed. For example, the Cannons line corresponds to another Cannons line created specifically for castles, referred to as castle_cannon in the game files, as opposed to cannon. Definitions in the export_descr_buildings file, or EDB are broken into these “lines” like so:

building cannon
{

    convert_to castle_cannon
    levels gunsmith cannon_maker cannon_foundry royal_arsenal
    {
        gunsmith city requires factions { northern_european, middle_eastern, eastern_european, greek, southern_european, } and event_counter gunpowder_discovered 1
        {
            convert_to 0
            capability
            {
                recruit_pool "NE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, hre, denmark, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "EE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, russia, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "GR Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { byzantium, }
                recruit_pool "ME Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Rocket Launcher" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { mongols, }
                recruit_pool "AS Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
            }
            material wooden
            construction 3
            cost 800
            settlement_min city
            upgrades
            {
                cannon_maker
            }
        }
        cannon_maker city requires factions { northern_european, timurids, egypt, moors, turks, eastern_european, southern_european, } and event_counter gunpowder_discovered 1
        {
            convert_to 1
            capability
            {
                recruit_pool "NE Mortar" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, venice, papal_states, sicily, } recruit_pool "NE Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0
                requires factions { france, hre, spain, portugal, milan, }
                recruit_pool "NE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { denmark, }
                recruit_pool "EE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "EE Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { russia, }
                recruit_pool "ME Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                recruit_pool "NE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "NE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, hre, denmark, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "EE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, russia, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "GR Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { byzantium, }
                recruit_pool "ME Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Rocket Launcher" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { mongols, }
                recruit_pool "AS Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                weapon_naval_gunpowder 1
            }
            material wooden
            construction 4
            cost 1600
            settlement_min large_city
            upgrades
            {
                cannon_foundry
            }
        }
        cannon_foundry city requires factions { northern_european, egypt, timurids, moors, turks, eastern_european, southern_european, } and event_counter gunpowder_discovered 1
        {
            convert_to 2
            capability
            {
                recruit_pool "NE Culverin" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, }
                recruit_pool "NE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { hre, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "NE Serpentine" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { denmark, }
                recruit_pool "EE Serpentine" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "EE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { russia, }
                recruit_pool "ME Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                recruit_pool "NE Serpentine" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { france, hre, }
                recruit_pool "NE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { denmark, }
                recruit_pool "EE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, }
                recruit_pool "NE Mortar" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "NE Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { france, hre, spain, portugal, milan, }
                recruit_pool "NE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { denmark, }
                recruit_pool "EE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "EE Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { russia, }
                recruit_pool "ME Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                recruit_pool "NE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "NE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, hre, denmark, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "EE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, russia, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "GR Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { byzantium, }
                recruit_pool "ME Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Rocket Launcher" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { mongols, }
                recruit_pool "AS Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                weapon_naval_gunpowder 1
            }
            material wooden
            construction 5
            cost 3200
            settlement_min huge_city
            upgrades
            {
                royal_arsenal
            }
        }
        royal_arsenal city requires factions { hre, france, turks, hungary, russia, venice, milan, portugal, spain, } and event_counter gunpowder_discovered 1
        {
            convert_to 3
            capability
            {
                recruit_pool "NE Basilisk" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { france, hre, spain, portugal, }
                recruit_pool "NE Monster Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { milan, venice, }
                recruit_pool "EE Basilisk" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { russia, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "ME Monster Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { turks, }
                recruit_pool "NE Culverin" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, }
                recruit_pool "NE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { hre, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "NE Serpentine" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { denmark, }
                recruit_pool "EE Serpentine" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "EE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { russia, }
                recruit_pool "ME Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                recruit_pool "NE Serpentine" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { france, hre, }
                recruit_pool "NE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { denmark, }
                recruit_pool "EE Cannon" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, }
                recruit_pool "NE Mortar" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "NE Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { france, hre, spain, portugal, milan, }
                recruit_pool "NE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { denmark, }
                recruit_pool "EE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "EE Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { russia, }
                recruit_pool "ME Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Grand Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                recruit_pool "NE Ribault" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "NE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, hre, denmark, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
                recruit_pool "EE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, russia, hungary, }
                recruit_pool "GR Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { byzantium, }
                recruit_pool "ME Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
                recruit_pool "AS Rocket Launcher" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { mongols, }
                recruit_pool "AS Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
                weapon_naval_gunpowder 1
            }
            material wooden
            construction 6
            cost 6400
            settlement_min huge_city
            upgrades
            {
            }
        }
    }
    plugins
    {
    }
}

This text defines the entire cannon line of buildings. This part:

building cannon
{
    convert_to castle_cannon
    levels gunsmith cannon_maker cannon_foundry royal_arsenal

defines things that affect the entire building line. The first line:

building cannon

is formatted as building insert name of building line here. What we learn from this line is that this is the definition for the cannon line of buildings. Building lines can have prefixes. These prefixes tell the game specific things about buildings. The prefixes include:

  • core_ – This prefix indicates that the building upgrades the settlement to the next level.
  • convert_to – This prefix indicates that the building turns the settlement from a city to a castle, or vice versa.
  • hinterland_ – This building cannot be demolished for cash.
  • temple_ – This is a religious building. You can only have one religious building in a settlement. This was used in Rome: Total War to ensure that you could not have a Temple of Isis and a Temple of Set in the same city, for example. It is also used in the Teutonic campaign to ensure that the Lithuanians can only have one temple of each type in their settlements.
  • guild – The building is a guild house, and has an additional entry in export_descr_guilds.txt.

An example of how to use prefixes would be if I wanted to make the cannon line of buildings unable to be demolished, I would change the line saying:

building cannon

Into

building hinterland_cannon

The next line:

{

is a curly brace. This file uses curly braces to organize the building definitions into the different parts.
The next line:

    convert_to castle_cannon

tells the game which line to convert the building line into if the entire settlement is converted to a castle
(or city). If a building line does not have this parameter, then it will be destroyed in the conversion process, like a Bowyer.
The next line:

    levels gunsmith cannon_maker cannon_foundry royal_arsenal

is all of the different buildings in the line, in ascending order – the first is the Gunsmith, then the Cannon Maker, and so on. In addition, there is sometimes a line that goes after the convert_to line that ties the building to a specific religion. It goes as follows:

religion orthodox

Available religions are:

  • catholic
  • orthodox
  • islam
  • pagan
  • heretic

After the line definition comes the individual building definitions in order, like the gunsmith definition:

{

    gunsmith city requires factions { northern_european, middle_eastern, eastern_european, greek, southern_european, } and event_counter gunpowder_discovered 1
    {
        convert_to 0
        capability
        {
            recruit_pool "NE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, hre, denmark, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
            recruit_pool "EE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, russia, hungary, }
            recruit_pool "GR Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { byzantium, }
            recruit_pool "ME Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
            recruit_pool "AS Rocket Launcher" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { mongols, }
            recruit_pool "AS Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
        }
        material wooden
        construction 3
        cost 800
        settlement_min city
        upgrades
        {
            cannon_maker
        }
    }

The first part is the building overview:

         gunsmith city requires factions { northern_european, middle_eastern, eastern_european,
 greek, southern_european, }  and event_counter gunpowder_discovered 1

This part determines whether the building is a castle or city building, as well as the name and requirements to build. You can have multiple requirements separated by an “and” or an “or”. A list of requirements:

Factions – requires factions { hre, }
You can make the construction of the building be restricted by faction or culture. Note that the list is enclosed in curly braces and has spaces before/after each curly brace. There is also a comma after each faction or culture. A list of faction names as they are in the files, separated by culture:

  • northern_european – england, france, denmark, scotland, hre (Holy Roman Empire), normans, saxons
  • southern_european – spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, slave (The Rebels, but it doesn’t really matter since they “adapt” to the local culture)
  • eastern_european – poland, hungary, russia
  • greek – byzantium
  • middle_eastern – egypt, turks, moors, mongols, timurids
  • mesoamerican – aztecs

Events – requires event_counter first_piano 1
You can tie it in to any of the events in the game. If you put a 1 after event_counter, then the building may only be built after the event. If you put a 0, it can only be built before. Events are listed in the descr_events.txt
in the campaign folder and include:

  • first_windmill
  • earthquake_in_aleppo
  • science_alchemy_book
  • first_european_paper
  • first_magnetic_compass
  • science_maths_zero_europe
  • mongols_invasion_warn
  • earthquake_in_silicia
  • first_mechanical_clock
  • gunpowder_discovered
  • first_eyeglasses
  • earthquake_in_alexandria
  • earthquake_in_alexandria_2
  • football_banned
  • first_sawmill
  • first_public_clock
  • science_weather_forecast
  • black_death_hits
  • black_death_1
  • black_death_2
  • black_death_3
  • black_death_4
  • first_blast_furnace
  • grote_mandenke
  • timurids_invasion_warn
  • first_piano
  • world_is_round
  • first_oil_painting
  • science_de_docta_ignorantia
  • first_printing_press
  • earthquake_in_naples
  • malleus_maleficarum
  • science_da_vinci_ornithopter
  • first_watch

Hidden Resource – requires hidden_resource arguin
Hidden resources are defined at the top of the EDB file. More on how to give them out and edit them in a later article. For now, here is a list of hidden resources:

  • sparta
  • rome
  • italy
  • america
  • atlantic
  • explorers_guild
  • swordsmiths_guild
  • woodsmens_guild
  • teutonic_knights_chapter_house
  • knights_of_santiago_chapter_house
  • crusade
  • jihad
  • arguin
  • horde_target
  • no_pirates
  • no_brigands

For example, the america hidden resource is used to ensure that the Spanish and Portuguese can only train Conquistadores in the New World.

Buildings – requires building_present_min_level urban_equestrian sultans_racing_track
This allows you to require that there is a certain level of building in the settlement. After the building_present_min_level, you put the building line, in this case Horse Racing, and then the level which it requires, in this case the Sultan’s Racing Track.

Religions – requires region_religion catholic 90
This Kingdoms-only line allows you to tie the requirement to a certain amount of religion. In the example, the building can only be built after 90% of the people in the region are Catholic.

The next part is more building-specific stuff.

        {
            convert_to 0
            capability

The “convert_to 0” tells the game which building in the opposite line that this building converts to. The number is always off by 1 – convert_to 0 means convert to the first building in the other line, convert_to 1 means the second one, and so on. In this example, the gunsmith converts to the first building in the castle_cannon line, the c_gunsmith. There is sometimes a line that comes right after this that ties the building to a specific religion, allowing it to spread that religion. The capability line is necessary, as it introduces the next part of the definition. This is the capabilities part:

    {
        recruit_pool "NE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { england, scotland, france, hre, denmark, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }
        recruit_pool "EE Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { poland, russia, hungary, }
        recruit_pool "GR Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { byzantium, }
        recruit_pool "ME Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { moors, egypt, turks, }
        recruit_pool "AS Rocket Launcher" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { mongols, }
        recruit_pool "AS Bombard" 1 0.4 3 0 requires factions { timurids, }
    }

In this example, the building only has one capability type – recruit pool. This allows the building to have a recruit pool for a particular type of unit. An example: 

                recruit_pool "NE Bombard"  1   0.4   3  0  requires factions { england, scotland, france, hre, denmark, spain, portugal, milan, venice, papal_states, sicily, }

The first part, recruit_pool, defines the type of capability. Then comes a unit’s type name (the name in the “type” line of the export_descr_unit.txt) in quotes. Next comes the four numbers that define the recruit pool. The way that a recruit pool works is that there are points. The building starts with a certain amount of points, and gains more every turn. You spend one point every time that you want to recruit a unit. There is a limit to how many points that the building can have. The first number is the starting number of points. The second number is the number of points that the building gains each turn. The third number is the maximum number of points. The last number, which must be between 0 and 9, is the starting experience of the units trained there. In addition, you can tie the capability (and this goes for all capabilities) to a requirement, using any combination of the four defined earlier. In this example, the Gunsmith has a recruit pool for Bombards when you are playing as England, Scotland, France, The Holy Roman Empire, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Milan, Venice, The Papal States, and Sicily. It starts with 1 point, and gains 0.4 points per turn. There are a maximum of three points in the pool. The Bombards will start with 0 experience.
However, there are other capability types. Here is a comprehensive list.

wall_level – wall_level 0
This sets the walls of the settlement to be at a particular level.

  • 0 = Wooden Palisade
  • 1 = Wooden Wall
  • 2 = Stone Wall
  • 3 = Large Stone Wall
  • 4 = Huge Stone Wall

tower_level – tower_level 1
This sets the towers of the settlement to be at a particular level.

  • 1 = Arrow Towers
  • 2 = Ballista Towers
  • 3 = Cannon Towers

free_upkeep – free_upkeep bonus 2
This allows the building to support the specified number of militia units free of charge.

happiness_bonus – happiness_bonus bonus 1
This makes the building contribute to public order through happiness by 5 times the number specified – in this example, a 5% public order bonus.

recruitment_slots – recruitment_slots 1
This allows the settlement to have the specified number of recruitment slots.

gate_strength – gate_strength 1
This allows the settlement to have gates of the specified strength.

  • 1 = Reinforced Gates
  • 2 = Iron Gates

law_bonus – law_bonus bonus 1
This makes the building contribute to public order through law by 5% times the number specified – in this example, a 5% public order bonus.

stage_races – stage_races 1
This allows the settlement to have horse races. Note that in the Americas campaign, this is used to allow the settlement to stage sacrifices instead.

armour – armour 1
This lets the building act like a Blacksmith and upgrade armor. The number denotes what it can upgrade to:

  • 1 = Padded/ Leather
  • 2 = Light Mail/ Light Lamellar
  • 3 = Heavy Mail/ Lamellar
  • 4 = Partial Plate/ Heavy Lamellar/ Splint Mail
  • 5 = Full Plate/ Kataphract/ Heavy Splint
  • 6 = Advanced Plate

trade_base_income_bonus – trade_base_income_bonus bonus 2
This gives you a bonus on tradable goods, presumably 5 times the stated amount.

trade_fleet – trade_fleet 1
Lets you have the specified number of trade fleets.

recruitment_cost_bonus_naval – recruitment_cost_bonus_naval bonus 1
This reduces the cost of training boats in the settlement by 10% times the number specified – in the example, boats would be 10% cheaper in that settlement.

navy_bonus – navy_bonus 1
This allows you to give an experience bonus to all ships trained in the settlement that have cannon. In this case, it is a +1 experience bonus.

agent – agent merchant 0
This allows the building to train an agent of the type specified. After you say agent, you then specify what type of agent. Agent types include:

  • Named character (Note that if you actually want to make generals trainable, you have to make general’s bodyguards trainable; they automatically come with a general. Don’t use the agent line.)
  • General (This is really a captain, although, again, I don’t think making them trainable would work out.)
  • Spy
  • Assassin
  • Diplomat
  • Admiral
  • Princess
  • Merchant
  • Priest (includes Catholic and Orthodox priests, as well as Imams)
  • Heretic
  • Witch
  • Inquisitor

The number afterwards is the level. You can use this to determine what level the priests are when they start (additional coding would be required for other character types).

  • 0 = ordinary
  • 1 = bishop
  • 2 = cardinal/patriarch (note that the patriarch is an Orthodox model unused in the game)

agent_limit – agent_limit merchant 1
This adds to the limit of the agent specified by the number specified.

road_level – road_level 1
This sets a new road level in the province it is in. Road levels are as follows:

  • 0 = Dirt Roads
  • 1 = Paved Roads
  • 2 = Highways

farming_level – farming_level 1
This increases the level of farms in the province by the number specified.

mine_resource – mine_resource 7
This increases your mining income by the number specified. Note that by default mines are 4 and mining networks are 7.

population_health_bonus – population_health_bonus bonus 2
This increases health in the settlement by 5 times the number specified.

population_growth_bonus – population_growth_bonus bonus 1
This increases population growth in the settlement by one half times the number specified.

retrain_cost_bonus – retrain_cost_bonus bonus 1
This reduces the cost to retrain units in the settlement by 10% times the number specified.

weapon_missile_gunpowder – weapon_missile_gunpowder 1
This upgrades the weapons of all gun-armed troops.

weapon_artillery_gunpowder – weapon_artillery_gunpowder 1
This upgrades the weapons of all gunpowder artillery.

weapon_projectile – weapon_projectile 1
This upgrades the weapons of all gun-armed troops and gunpowder artillery.

religion_level – religion_level bonus 1
This adds a conversion bonus of the religion that the building is tied to. The conversion bonus is 5% times the number specified.

pope_disapproval – pope_disapproval 1
This makes the Pope happy with your faction.

pope_approval – pope_approval 1
This sends a message to you when the building is completed, telling of the Pope’s approval for your cause.

amplify_religion_level – amplify_religion_level 1.5
This increases the effectiveness of religious buildings in converting the populace by 33 and 1/3 times the number specified.

heavy_cavalry_bonus – heavy_cavalry_bonus bonus 1
This increases the experience of knights trained here by the amount specified.

construction_cost_bonus_stone – construction_cost_bonus_stone bonus 30
This decreases the cost of stone structures by 1% times the amount specified.

gun_bonus – gun_bonus 1
Increases experience of all gunpowder-armed troops by the amount specified.

weapon_melee_blade – weapon_melee_blade 1
Upgrades the weapons of all melee troops.

archer_bonus – archer_bonus 1
Increases the experience of all archers trained by the amount specified.

cavalry_bonus – cavalry_bonus 1
Increases the experience of all cavalry trained in the settlement by the amount specified.

stage_games – stage_games 1
This is used in the Americas campaign to allow you to hold ceremonial dances.

You can optionally make a second capability section called faction capability, which makes the effect apply not only to the settlement that the building is built in, but all settlements in the faction. An example of this can be seen in the Master Mason’s Guild:

m_masons_guild city requires factions { northern_european, middle_eastern, eastern_european, greek, southern_european, }
{

    capability
    {
        recruit_pool "Bill Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { england, }
        recruit_pool "Heavy Pike Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { scotland, }
        recruit_pool "Partisan Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { france, }
        recruit_pool "Halberd Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { hre, papal_states, sicily, poland, hungary, }
        recruit_pool "Swordstaff Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { denmark, }
        recruit_pool "Swordsmen Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { spain, portugal, }
        recruit_pool "Italian Spear Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { milan, venice, }
        recruit_pool "EE Spear Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { russia, }
        recruit_pool "Byzantine Infantry" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { byzantium, }
        recruit_pool "Urban Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { moors, }
        recruit_pool "ME Halberd Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { egypt, turks, timurids, }
        recruit_pool "ME Spear Militia" 1 0.5 4 0 requires factions { mongols, }
        construction_cost_bonus_stone bonus 30
        happiness_bonus bonus 1
    }
    faction_capability
    {
        construction_cost_bonus_stone bonus 20
    }
    material stone
    construction 1
    cost 2000
    settlement_min large_city
    upgrades
    {
        gm_masons_guild
    }
}

As you can see, it decreases the cost of constructing stone buildings by 20% in all of your settlements.

After the faction capability section, or, if it is not present, the capability section, comes the section defining various other things about the building:

            material wooden
            construction  3 
            cost  800 
            settlement_min city
            upgrades
            {
                cannon_maker
            }

First is the material line. This defines whether the building is made of stone or wood. Options are:

            material stone

or

            material wooden

The next line is the construction line. This defines how many turns it takes to construct the building. After that is the cost line. It defines how many florins you must spend to construct the building. The next line is the
settlement_min line. This tells the game what level of settlement is required before the building can be constructed. Options are:

  • village – Village
  • town – Town or Motte and Bailey
  • large_town – Large Town or Wooden Castle
  • city – City or Castle
  • large_city – Large City or Fortress
  • huge_city – Huge City or Citadel


After the settlement_min line is the upgrade line. This line defines a new section, enclosed in curly braces, which defines all of the buildings that this building can be upgraded into. If the building cannot be upgraded, then you just enclose an empty space in curly braces, like so:

            upgrades
            {
            }

When you are finished with the building’s individual definition, then you must put one last curly brace, like so:

            }

The end of the definition for the building line requires that you put this line in:

    }
    plugins 
    {
    }
}

After that, the building line definition is complete!
I hope that you enjoyed this guide. As with my units guide, I will be following up with a guide all about How to Make New Buildings. Until then, enjoy editing buildings!

Mythic_Commodore

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