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Great news! The kind of update we all love to read. Thanks. :)
 
any: yes, Afghanistan is not really fun to play at the moment

Tegetthoff

Gamebreaker :mad:

Just kidding. :p
I'm looking forward to trying out CORE, I used to use it consistently for HoI1, but never tried it in HoI2 (and never played DD or Arm, either). I figure CORE will change AOD from good to great.
 
Is their a place where to find a list of the changes in this mod?


Compared to what? Compared to vanilla? It is almost a complete rewrite, new tech tree, new events, new graphics, new units...

Compare to CORE 0.40? Bug fixes, fine tuning, polishing ....

Cheers,

T.
 
Another update:

We are currently testing version 0.49.7, which is a possible release candidate. For practical reasons, this version is being developed for AoD 1.02.

Currently, there are no major balance or stability problems.

T.
 
Another update:

We are currently testing version 0.49.7, which is a possible release candidate. For practical reasons, this version is being developed for AoD 1.02.

Currently, there are no major balance or stability problems.

T.

Thanks. It seems that can play AOD with CORE in just a few weeks. ;)
 
CORE for AoD

I´ll take a page out of Paradox´s book and produce a bit of pre-release hype. This may include the last minute shift of the release date, so bear with me. For the moment, I´ll skip the interviews on youtube and give you a first idea what you will be getting.

First of all, what you get is more like AoD for CORE than CORE for AoD. As you know, C.O.R.E. 0.40 for ARM 1.3 was released last year. What we did was take an early version of 0.41, roughly the state of November 2009 and ported it over to AoD 1.02.

So you get all CORE elements - tech tree, events, balancing, units, graphics and can use it with the AoD engine. This means all the interface improvements (how could I ever have used HOI2 without mousewheel zoom?), the AoD combat model, the autotrading, the improved economic system can be used to play CORE.

On the other hand, we have not yet made use of the additional brigades that AoD offers (which means no armoured trains at the moment) and we use the CORE system for synthetic oil and synthetic materials. This means that synth oil and synth material plants are disabled and certain nations get material plants by event.

One new AoD feature that we have used is artillery bombardment, this is now in for all artillery brigades.

News from the testing front: the betas are extremely quiet, which means either that everthing is working perfectly and they are off playing their games or that they are completely frustrated and will not talk to me anymore. Let´s hope it is the former.

Last message: the upcoming CORE 0.49 release was developed and balanced for AoD 1.02. Some betas have installed it on 1.03 and have survived the experience.

Cheers,

Tegetthoff
 
So you guys are basically just waiting until 1.04 and then given no major bugs with that, release?
 
So you guys are basically just waiting until 1.04 and then given no major bugs with that, release?

No, the plan is to release a version for 1.02 within 14 days and get user feedback.

Then we will take a finalised CORE 0.41, re-port it from the bottom up to AoD 1.04 and decide wether we release this as 0.50 or play around with the game, add some features and release later. The exact schedule for step 2 will depend on the success of 0.49 and the time schedule for 1.04.
 
News from the testing front: the betas are extremely quiet, which means either that everthing is working perfectly and they are off playing their games or that they are completely frustrated and will not talk to me anymore. Let´s hope it is the former.

It's because the betas are all quiet, reserved, repectful souls who shun the spotlight and are content to labour prodigiously in the dimly observed background for the greater good of the HoI community. And because they're up to their collective elbows in devious strategums trying to break this thing.

Pleased to report that while we've chipped an edge or two it really does look like it's going to work.
 
It's because the betas are all quiet, reserved, repectful souls who shun the spotlight and are content to labour prodigiously in the dimly observed background for the greater good of the HoI community.

:D

And some are just lazy and engaged in activities on their own promoting their agenda under the disguise of testing.:p
 
During my testing there have been no CTDs due to the conversion to AoD, except for the rare crash when a large amount of events pop up at once eg. Vichy so it's looking good for public release. Balancing will be an ongoing thing and having CORE for AoD out there for you all to play and comment on will help us improve the mod even further.

It's going to be worth the wait guys! :D
 
Dev Diary: How to Port a Mod

So, what were the challenges in porting CORE to AoD?

First of all, you take an installation of CORE for Armageddon. I used an early 0.41 developers version. Then you copy the mod file by file into an AoD installation and keep starting the game to see wether it crashes.

First of all we got to hand it to the BL guys: despite the major changes in AoD gameplay the code is ALMOST mod compatible. There are a couple of isses, though, that prevent a straightforward transfer. Of course misc.txt is totally different. Then some files now require additional command lines, such as the brigade files and more brigades mean you need a different brigade graphics "strip". And AoD is very intolerant regarding the use of double minister and leader IDs, crashing instantly.

But overall, it was a weekend´s work to get a version of CORE for AoD that did not crash on start-up. Then the real work started.

Now comes the work of hunting down dozens of text sections in files like doomsdaytext.csv that keep overwriting CORE tech and model names. Fortunately, it is more a question of deleting than of changing text.

Then comes the balancing.

Now AoD has an economic model that is very different from the one used in HOI2 ARM. You need money, lots of money. This is generated via consumer goods (in the end dependent on how much IC you have) and via a tax on undrafted manpower. CORE has two basic concepts: it reduces available IC dramatically in the early game to simulate lack of mobilisation and the ending depression. And it cuts down initial manpower to prevent unit spamming.

Just copying the CORE model into AoD leads to economies for EVERY country in the game that crash after a couple of months. So we had to carefully rebalance things like available manpower, money from consumer goods etc. until every country had a change of balancing its economy while doing some research and at least doing some reinforcement and upgrading.

The other big change in AoD is that IC and raw material extraction depend on province efficiency and this depends in turn on infrastructure and IC already present. CORE, on the other hand, spent a LOT of work on defining historicaly correct raw material deposits and industry and infra distribution. Lower infra in all provinces throws all of this out of balance while the industry concentration factor overpowers countries like Germany and the UK, damages the Soviet Union and kills places like China.

So the complete industry and energy/metal/rares distribution had to be redone.

Once this is done, it comes down to releasing version after version to the Betas and fix one small problem after the other.

Here is the changelog, which is a sort of dev diary of its own:

2010-03-06:

Transferred:
mod-Core2\db\events
mod-Core2\db\tech
mod-Core2\db\ministers
mod-Core2\gfx
mod-COre2\scenarios

mod-Core2\scenarios\tech_names.csv
mod-Core2\scenarios\world_names.csv

transferred mod-Core2\db\leaders except yunnan.csv
yunnan.csv crashed the game

transferred only land unit files into mod-Core2\db\units
*Problem with surfacedetectioncapability for all planes and ships
-> solved 2010-03-07 by editing files

transferred models.csv to mod-Core2\config
transferred unit_names.csv to mod-Core2\config

overwrote auxiliary.bmp and auxiliarybig.bmp with standard AoD brigade counter strip

Non-crashing error message on scenario startup
-> resolved 2010-03-07 by transfer of province.csv and adj-devs (probably Vatican State causing the error message)

Maybe brigade numbering has changed and incorrect brigade symbols and pics are shown


Have to put national ideas in each .inc file.
Why does every nation have a national idea even if not defined in .inc file?

2010-03-07:

Transferred:
mod-Core2\db\armynames.csv
mod-Core2\db\airnames.csv
mod-Core2\db\navynames.csv
mod-Core2\db\convoy_costs.txt
mod-Core2\db\difficulty.csv
mod-Core2\db\province.csv
mod-Core2\db\revolt.txt
mod-Core2\map\adj-devs.csv

Combined AoD and CORE config\event_txt.csv
Combined AoD and CORE config\scenario_text.csv
Combined AoD and CORE db\building_cost.txt

Edited AoD booster_text.csv to conform with CORE brigade references (?)
Escort fighters displayed correctly, naval brigades still wrong

Transferred all division and brigade definition files to mod-Core2\db\units
Edited all unit definition files (naval_unit_type = 1, air_unit_type = 1, land_unit_type = 1)

Did not transfer:
mod-Core2\db\diplo_costs.txt (unsure of effects)
mod-Core2\db\misc.txt (for obvious reasons)
mod-Core2\db\spy_costs.txt (unsure of effects)

*************************************************
Non-crashing Version achieved
*************************************************

Bug fixing:
Laissez Faires Capitalist is now Laissez Faire Capitalist
Deleted lots of short_tech_app from boostertext and doomsdaytext

2010-03-08:
Finalised Laissez Faire change
Transferred national ideas to .inc files (CHI, FRA, GER, ITA, JAP, ENG, SOV, USA)


*************************************************
0.49.1
*************************************************
2010-03-13:
Fixed a small problem with escort fighter attachments
Transferred complete ai files
Installed dummy files for ai and gfx
Downgraded IC for GER, ENG, USA
Small IC upgrade to JAP and ITA (+1 IC)
Toned down parochial world view idea
Added RI, PM and FM manpower to ITA, JAP, GER at scn. start (and removed MP gain from events)
Added offmap money equ. to RI, PM and FM gain to ENG (and removed offmap money with each event)

*************************************************
0.49.2
*************************************************
2010-03-15
Found another superfluous model text (marines)
Added max_oil_stock to infantry.txt (probably not the way to go)
Added slight fuelconsumption to all infantry models except 1930 and removed the max_oil_stock again
Transferred unit_names.csv
Changed post-historical research bonus back to 0.0005 / day
Added offmap money equ. to RI, PM and FM gain to USA and FRA (and removed offmap money with each event)
Added RI, PM and FM manpower to FRA, CAN, NZL, SAF, AST, Newfoundland, IND and MLY at scn. start (and removed MP gain from events)
Added RI, PM and FM manpower to POL, BEL, HOL, LUX, SOV, DEN, NOR, FIN at scn. start (and removed MP gain from events)
Added RI, PM and FM manpower to CHI, CSX, CGX, CHC at scn. start (and removed MP gain from events)
Added RI, PM and FM manpower to CZE, HUN, AUS, ROM, BUL, YUG, CZE, GRE at scn. start (and removed MP gain from events)

Recalculated global raw material production from province efficiency.

Reviewed dummy files - deleted a lot

*************************************************
0.49.3
*************************************************
2010-03-21 - 2010-03-27
misc.txt changes:
Changed naval command limits to CORE values (single ships!)
Changed naval optimum stack (18 to 30)
Changed IC to TC value back to AoD default of 1.5
Increased IC to money ratio to 2.2

ai changes:
Made Poland, France and England more likely to trade with each other (1936 ai)
Shifted Polish 1936 build AI to reinforcement
Made YUG more likely to trade for energy (1936 ai)
Removed the YUG-ROM trade embargo from their ai files (they were allied in the Little Entente)
Put YUG and ROM on each other´s trade list
Tried to make Germany build fewer HQ (7 to 9!) and a few paratroops instead (1936 ai)
Shifte 1936 German build AI from naval bombers to TAC and INT
Shifted German post fall of CZE build AI from land to air units (ger_fall_cze)
Made Bulgaria less friendly to Germany to prevent 1939 alliance
Set war = 0 for US AI in 1936

event/scenario changes:
Added RI, PM and FM manpower to POR, SWE, TUR, MAN at scn. start (and removed MP gain from events)
Added RI, PM and FM manpower to SPR at scn. start (and removed MP gain from events)
Changed dormant Assault Guard and Guardia Republicana units from garrison to reserve for SPR

db:
added max_oil_stock from 1 to 22 to cavalry divisions

event:
deleted US interventionism move (+1) from neutrality act event 830158 to move back US war entry
added 5 dissent to death of Calvo Sotelo event 560072 for SPA

*************************************************
0.49.4
*************************************************
2010-03-29
db:
Replaced nuclear sub with auxiliary in doomsdaytext.csv
Replaced the Surrender button with a Ceasefire button in text.csv and messages.csv


*************************************************
0.49.5
*************************************************
2010-04-11 - 2010-04-16
ai:
Made small adjustments to YUG trade ai
Changed US AI file so hopefully it makes a defense lobby slider movement in 38 and 39 rather than an interventionism move
Set US starting neutrality from 80 to 150

events:
Triggered PM for CHI, CHC, CGX and CSX (apparently intended in 0.40 but not working)
changed US interventionism move to -1 from neutrality act event 830158 to move back US war entry even more
Modified Marco Polo bridge incident so it always includes war with CSX
Changed the CGX United Front events so that CGX does not always make peace with Japan
Added my old files for Guangxi / Guangdong incident and Suiyuan campaign with minor changes
Added transfer of CGX teach teams to CHI if CGX is annexed

db:
Changed the energy for metal trade between GER and YUG in YuG´s favour (10 energy for 2 metal)
Added one HQ to Nationalist China with Chiang in charge
Made Bai Chongxi and Li Zongren Generals in CGX according to their real function there
Made Japan and Manchukuo allied from game start
Gave CGX '00 agrictulture on start-up

*************************************************
0.49.6
*************************************************
2010-04-17:

db:
changed the energy-metal trade of GER and YUG to 8:2
rounded all raw materials in YUG up when correcting for province efficiency
since this worked well, rounded all raw materials in the worl up and made a new province.csv
added artillery_bombardment (always soft_attack +1) to all artillery, sp_artillery and rct_artillery brigades

events:
changed the whole Marco Polo Bridge and United Front series again to give one war with one alliance
prevented CGX peace with Japan

*************************************************
0.49.7
*************************************************

events/ai:
made many changes to the way National China calls for help from the warlords

events:
Added USA event 830806 that changes FDR back to Die-Hard Reformed once US is at war (this is not fully exploit-safe)
Fixed event probabilities of Guangxi event series
Applied Eyiang´s spelling corrections for Guangxi series

db/events:
Received corrected manpower/mobilisation files from Eiyang for ARG, BRA, BO, CHL, COL
Received corrected manpower/mobilisation files from Eiyang for COS, CUB, DOM, ECU, GUA, HAI, HON, LIB
Received corrected manpower/mobilisation files from Eiyang for MEX, NIC, PAN, PRU, PAR, SAL
Changed FRA from "money method" back to "manpower method"

db:
Changed the soft attack values of 6 bat divisions to 1/1.3 the value of 9 bat divisions for:
militia/reserve, infantry, cavalry, mountain

Increased airdefense and surfacefense for the following plane types:
interceptor, multirole, TAC, CAS, Strat, Naval

Defined new minister type "FDR_PRE_1942" in minister_modifiers.txt and text.csv
Changed HoS 3001 FDR to FDR_PRE_1942 with 30% DOW malus
 
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interesting Dev Diary! Thanks for the update!

It seems you guys need desperately some kind of Validator for AoD to track down every bug...
 
Dev Diary: What is New

So, I have told you what it means to port an existing mod into a new code. But with all the basic transfer work, we could not resist to add a few small extras:

Spanish Civil War Extended:
It needed really just three very small changes, but the SCW now usually runs longer than in CORE 0.41 or in AoD. You will still not see a duration up to 1939 very often, but it IS longer.

Early American War Entry Delayed:
An effect that plagued CORE 0.40 was the US entering the war in mid 1940. This has been fixed, you will not see the US in the war before mid 1941 and usually they wait until war is declared on them

Early Axis Entry of Bulgaria Gone:
This is an AoD problem. I would like to say that I made some very complicated changes, but at some point in the development the early Axis entry of BUL just went away....

Guangxi/Guangdong incident changed:
There is the famous Guangxi war in vanilla HOI2 that never happened in reality (I frankly don´t know wether it is in AoD). This was replaced by the actual events of summer 1936 that lead to the re-integration of most of South China under the control of the KMT. Some other events regarding the Japanese support to the Mongols in 1936/37 have been added. We tried to strenghten China in other small ways, too. However, they still get overrun by Japan in 1941 / 42 in most games. 1.04 is said to address this problem.

Marco Polo Bridge Incident fixed:
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident as originally coded in CORE 0.40 could lead to several separate wars of warlords, China, Japana and Manchukuo. This has now been fixed so that a single war results and there is no longer the danger of concluding one peace and having two or three other wars continuing.

AND:
I changed the SURRENDER button into a CEASEFIRE button! That has been bugging me everytime I ended the game.
 
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