Napoleon Dev-diary #8 - 3rd of August 2007

[Johan]

It’s yet another Friday, and I am busy wrapping this project up. Before I go off for a weekend of resting, I’ll give you some sneakpeaks in this little development diary though.


One of the most eagerly awaited features of Napoleons Ambition is the option to go with Historical Monarchs/Leaders/Advisors. Here you see me running with the option of historical monarchs, and I get Karl XII on the historical date. Running with this option means more historical flavor, at the expense of some gameplay-options like succession wars, royal marriages and inheritances as they will not serve any purpose.



As mentioned last week, we have expanded the scripting capacity of the game-engine severly. With the following effects added upon the large amounts already existing, you could create very powerful usermods. For example, if you so determine, you could have entirely different dynasty-chains for different countries appearing depending on choices.

any_owned = {}
any_neighbor_country = {}
random_center_of_trade = {}
set_revolution_target = this/from/tag
country_event = event_id
province_event = event_id
remove_province_modifier = <modifier>
remove_country_modifier	= <modifier>
revolt_risk = <num>
create_marriage	 = this/from/tag		
create_alliance	 = this/from/tag		
create_admiral = <power>
create_explorer	= <power>
create_conquistador = <power>
create_general = <power>
create_colony = <size>
remove_merchant = this/from/random/tag	
send_merchant = this/from/random/tag	
kill_ruler = "name" / this		
kill_leader = "name"
define_admiral = { name, stats etc..}
define_explorer = { name, stats etc..}
define_conquistador = { name, stats etc..}
define_general = { name, stats etc..}
random_empty_neighbor_province = {}
release_vassal= this/from/random/tag

In Napoleons Ambition you will be able to create new centres of trade as well as destroy them. You can create a new centre in any of your provinces that fullfill the following conditions. It must be trading with a centre of trade not owned by you, that centre must trade at least 400 ducats worth, and you must be able to afford to pay 500 gold to open it. You can only close centres that you own, if they are worth less than 300 ducats of trade in total. This screenshot shows my England that could afford splitting the Burgundy CoT by opening their own trade in London. There are a lot of strategic options to this, and it will change quite a lot how trade works in the game.

[Featauril]

Wicked.

Why would you want to close a center of trade though? The +10 tax income is pretty nice...

[gigau]

Nice update

[Baneslave]

Why would you want to close a center of trade though? The +10 tax income is pretty nice...

To make another, bigger one? To Centralise your COT to your heartland

[basharious]

oh, changed the sign of building a ship, have we?

Nice update . Can't wait.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

oh, changed the sign of building a ship, have we?

Nice update . Can't wait.

Looks like... Mercenaries have their own window?

It'll be interesting to see how the COT creation feature works. 500 ducats seems pretty cheap.
How will the AI utilise it?

[spier]

Good to hear, although i'm a little concerned about the possible exploits associated with being able to set up COTs at whim.

I think that limiting the number of COTs that you can open in a given time frame and based upon the size of your empire would be one way of controlling COT expansion. I imagine that having the AI of every large empire open up a COT in would be a bit chaotic for the world market.

I do see a lot of promise for this feature. To add another strategic element to it, would it be possible to implement a feature whereby your colonies would automatically send their goods to your COT if you open one up rather than sending them to another faction's COT?

That would indeed be a cool feature.

[YodaMaster]

What about break_marriage and break_alliance?

[Johan]

oh, changed the sign of building a ship, have we?

London has no port, and can't build ships

[Johan]

Good to hear, although i'm a little concerned about the possible exploits associated with being able to set up COTs at whim.

I think that limiting the number of COTs that you can open in a given time frame and based upon the size of your empire would be one way of controlling COT expansion. I imagine that having the AI of every large empire open up a COT in would be a bit chaotic for the world market.

I do see a lot of promise for this feature. To add another strategic element to it, would it be possible to implement a feature whereby your colonies would automatically send their goods to your COT if you open one up rather than sending them to another faction's COT?

That would indeed be a cool feature.

There is no "at whim".. as you can only do it if that CoT is rich enough to support a split.. and you are not owning it..

so even if you own a 1300 worth Lissabon CoT, you can't create a new one out of it.. since you cant split your own.. but an enemy can and will..

[Seelensturm]

So the Kalmar Union will go on when using historical monarchs?

[gigau]

London has no port, and can't build ships

What's that icon for, then ?

[basharious]

Is there any specific way to attract merchants to your COT?! Does prestige have to do with it?! BB?!

Also, thanks for clearing the London thing. So in the case of no port, Mercenaries get their own button?! Or what is the button?!

[Johan]

So the Kalmar Union will go on when using historical monarchs?

until the day it ended historically.

[Bowfling44]

Good to hear, although i'm a little concerned about the possible exploits associated with being able to set up COTs at whim.

I think that limiting the number of COTs that you can open in a given time frame and based upon the size of your empire would be one way of controlling COT expansion. I imagine that having the AI of every large empire open up a COT in would be a bit chaotic for the world market.

I do see a lot of promise for this feature. To add another strategic element to it, would it be possible to implement a feature whereby your colonies would automatically send their goods to your COT if you open one up rather than sending them to another faction's COT?

That would indeed be a cool feature.

A seemingly reasonable modification would be to use the same costing factors for CoT as exist for maufacturies. The more you own, the costlier they are to open. This would also give a reason to close a small one you own in order to save on the cost of opening one in a better location.

[spier]

A seemingly reasonable modification would be to use the same costing factors for CoT as exist for maufacturies. The more you own, the costlier they are to open. This would also give a reason to close a small one you own in order to save on the cost of opening one in a better location.

Sounds like a great idea.

[EvilSanta]

Creating new COTs looks like a great addition.

[spl]

It should make trade very different in mp

[berhaven]

Wicked.

Why would you want to close a center of trade though? The +10 tax income is pretty nice...

to avoid it being captured?
to avoit it being split by a fast growing competitor nearby?
because you don't have a core on it?
because you conquered it just to shut it down?
because you plan to release this province as a vassall?

Dynamic player controlled COT look like a great idea.

[Varyar]

The CoT feature sounds awesome, it will be a great addition to the game.