well, im sure a new unit could be made

But, if u want the "Can un-mount before combat begins" ability like in MTW, then your gonna hafta talk to CA cause no1 else around here seems to know how to do it.

It is possible, but I can't remember how atm. Chilly5 will know.

I was working on a mod to mount/unmount cav, but I've not done any in a long time. If lots of people were entheusiastic i might have another go. In fact, I might have another go anyway...

well i do know and remember . . . . but i'm too lazy to tell u in full detail :P so i'm just gona give u a clue: look in the descr_moddel_battle file and the export_descr_unit file and compare the infantry to the cavalry and see wat u can do . . .

It would be a mod and a half but a special ability were a unit could charge through enemy lines on horse back before dismounting to fight by hand would be top notch.

could u do it

Roughly on-topic:

Chariots. Now the model is basically a chariot and two or three little blokes sat on top. For example, the Egyptian Chariot archers consist of a chariot model and three Pharoe's bowmen. Like so:

soldier egyptian_chariot_archer, 27, 9, 1
mount egyptian chariot

Now would it be possible, using the Descr-etc files, to chop and change chariots and their riders; for example, to give Thracians falxmen mounted on chariots, or to Give the Greeks Amazon archers (on foot)?

soldier greek_amazons, 27, 9, 1
mount none

Bear in mind that I'm totally inexperienced with this modding business and I didn't find anything in the FAQ, so if it's totally unfeasable I'd prefer a level response to a gale of laughter.

Cheers.

[This message has been edited by The Alcotroll (edited 04-21-2005 @ 07:59 AM).]

That'd be doable. Again, chilly will know about it. (For dismounting charioteers)I'd have thought that if you just added an new unit in export_descr_unit and then copied the entry in descr_model_battle and changed the animations to those of infantry. e.g. cahange fs_hc_swordsman or whatever to fs_swordsman.

Outstanding!

Cheers muchly.

Update: In fact it doesn't seem to work. I just tried to create a new unit of chariot mounted Thracians and the game wouldn't start. I checked and re-checked for coding errors (which usually cause that effect) but I couldn't work out what was wrong.

Anyone want to give me a second opinion?

ok, look, ben was right, u were almost right but u forgot one fatal error. go to descr_model_battle and find the falxmen model (its in the barb section) and from there, copy the model and paste it right underneth (spelling), then rename the unit (i.e. falxmen_chariot). next look at the skeletons line and u will notice the skeleton is fs_2handed, (since i cant remember the chariot model) scroll down and find a chariot unit (scythed chariot model would be suggested from me) and copy the skeleton and paste it on ur new model's skeleton. finally u go to the export_descr_unit file and go to ur new unit which had the mount and etc scroll down and find the soldier line, replace the model there with the new model name u made (i.e. soldier falxmen_chariot) i suggest that all the rest of the stuff is copied from another chariot unit's export_descr stuff so that way u wont have to do it manually. try the game out and tell me if it works (btw the mount line must have a chariot that u want to use, i suggest coping british chariots and pasting it on that line)

well, thats how u mount inf. it's vice versa for dismounting cav.

I'm afraid it's still not working; the game drops out at the intital loading screen.

Here is what I've put in the descr_model_battle file for the Falxmen chariots:

typefalxmen_chariot
skeletonfs_chariot_sword
indiv_range40
texturedacia, data/models_unit/textures/unit_barb_warband_falx_dacia.tga
texturethrace, data/models_unit/textures/unit_barb_warband_falx_thrace.tga
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_high.cas, 8
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_med.cas, 15
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_low.cas, 30
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_lowest.cas, max
model_spritethrace, 60.0, data/sprites/thrace_warband_falx_sprite.spr
model_spritedacia, 60.0, data/sprites/dacia_warband_falx_sprite.spr
model_tri400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f

And here is what went in the export_descr_unit file:

type falxmen chariot
dictionary falxmen_chariot ; Thracian Chariots
category cavalry
class heavy
voice_type Heavy_1
soldier falxmen_chariot, 18, 9, 1
mount barbarian heavy chariot
mount_effect elephant -8, camel -4
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, frighten_foot
formation 7, 9, 15, 15, 2, square
stat_health 1, 3
stat_pri 13, 5, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, sword, 25 ,1
stat_pri_attr no
stat_sec 13, 8, no, 0, 0, melee, blade, slashing, none, 25 ,1
stat_sec_attr launching, ap
stat_pri_armour 6, 1, 4, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 1, flesh
stat_heat 2
stat_ground 0, -2, -4, 2
stat_mental 12, impetuous, untrained
stat_charge_dist 40
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 2, 580, 190, 60, 90, 580
ownership thrace

Now I can't see anything wrong with that. Any ideas?

[This message has been edited by The Alcotroll (edited 04-21-2005 @ 05:25 PM).]

it wouldnt be anything easy like the missing underscore on the first line of the export_descr_unit ? where you have
type falxmen chariot
and everywhere else its falxmen_chariot
?

i'm gona try it and see if it works.

ok, i got it to work, i dont know wat u did wrong, but something was wrong. i messed around with it and got this:

the only problem is that the chariots have a british flag on the bottom. if u dont like it, tell me and wat chariot u want and i'll try to fix it.

model:
type falxmen_chariot
skeleton fs_chariot_sword
indiv_range 40
texturedacia, data/models_unit/textures/unit_barb_warband_falx_dacia.tga
texturethrace, data/models_unit/textures/unit_barb_warband_falx_thrace.tga
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_high.cas, 8
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_med.cas, 15
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_low.cas, 30
model_flexidata/models_unit/unit_warband_dacia_falx_lowest.cas, max
model_spritethrace, 60.0, data/sprites/thrace_warband_falx_sprite.spr
model_spritedacia, 60.0, data/sprites/dacia_warband_falx_sprite.spr
model_tri400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f

descr_unit:
type falxmen chariot
dictionary falxmen_chariot ; Thracian Chariots
category cavalry
class heavy
voice_type Heavy_1
soldier falxmen_chariot, 27, 9, 1
mount barbarian heavy chariot
mount_effect elephant -8, camel -4
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, frighten_foot, can_run_amok
formation 7, 9, 15, 15, 1, square
stat_health 1, 4
stat_pri 12, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, knife, 25 ,0.73
stat_pri_attr no
stat_sec 6, 8, no, 0, 0, melee, blade, slashing, none, 25 ,1
stat_sec_attr ap, launching
stat_pri_armour 18, 1, 0, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 1, flesh
stat_heat 3
stat_ground 0, 1, -6, -1
stat_mental 10, impetuous, trained
stat_charge_dist 40
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 2, 980, 160, 100, 150, 980
ownership thrace

good luck with finding the spaces! and note: they wont have a unit card nor will they have a name.

Yeah, I actually managed to get there in the end.

The game wouldn't let me make any new units (I'll re-try using your method) but I could replace exisiting ones.

One interesting side effect is this...

I dismounted the Persian cavalry archers (the armoured ones) to replace the normal foot archers. While it looked fine up close, and worked without a hitch, I noticed that the units looked a little... wrong from a distance.

Eventually, after much scrutiny, I realised that the troops were all sitting down, as if mounted on invisible, ground-level horses.
Similarly, if you mount an infantry unit, you find that from a distance you have a group of crazy circus acrobats standing in their saddles.

Now I've seen reference to a draw distance at the top of the unit file (where it explains what the tags mean) and I'm guessing that the problem is something to do with me copying and pasting infantry models and then changing the weapon animations to fit cavalry, and vice verca.

I shall investigate once I find the time...

[This message has been edited by The Alcotroll (edited 05-06-2005 @ 09:08 AM).]

it is possible to mount spartans and put people on chariots

all you have to do is to add a mount line and mount effect line after the soldier line in export_descr_unit. Put what you want them in a light horse medium or heavy horse in the mount line and find another units mount effect line and copy and paste it. you can also put them in a chariot that way to . then go to export descr unit and add a hc in the part that looks like this. fs_spearman. so it should look like this fs_hc_spearman and if there is a fs_swordsman then add and hc to it to. Done it should work now. if you want to have mounted and unmounted you will have to copy and paste the lines in the descr model battle and export descr unit and give the new one a new name.

[This message has been edited by masterj3123 (edited 05-15-2005 @ 07:42 PM).]

My question is why do people request things like this making units uber?

Like pikemen Cataphracts and mounted Spartans? = /

Hell I used to do that when I was like 8, pretty much make myself invincible. Then it got boring.

I imagine that people like to make 'uber' units for the same reason that they like to use cheats. Some of them can't cope with the game as it stands, and some of them have already played the game without cheating, and are now interested in seeing what they can do in an 'ideal world'.

Personally, I find that if one is looking for an 'uber unit', it's easier to simply edit the statistics to make them cheaper, more numerous and more effective in the field.

Creating new units (like Thracian chariots) re-vitalises the game by adding some novelty. Nothing more.

You don't necessarily have to make them super, maybe just slightly superior to their counterparts.

i just do that to give some much needed elite units to a verrrrrry bad faction, historical or not . . . oh and ur problem with the circus riders and sitting archers from a distance is the sprites, u didnt change them, so a infantry sprite will still be a infantry sprite wether or not u mounted them. same goes for a cavalry sprite (sprite=unit seen from distance), but this can be changed to a different units sprite.

are u still reading this?

Download the Darth 5.0 mod - over at TW center. It adds new units to the Greek faction and maintaines the vanilla aspect of the game. It includes mounted Spartans although they are very overpowering.......

[This message has been edited by NAFPAKTIUS II (edited 06-23-2005 @ 12:11 PM).]

were spartans ever mounted?
spartan cavalry sure . . . but werent they the same as greek cavalry? the cavalry of greece wasnt very good . . . .

The Spartans didn't fight as cavalrymen. Their entire army was infantry based. The Helot slaves fought on foot as skirmishers and the Spartans fought on foot as Hoplites. So it isn't historically accurate, but hey, if you want to make a mounted Spartan, go for it!