Announcing Elvish Pillager's Popular Demand Era!

[Elvish_Pillager]

What:

A new era using mainline units/graphics, not designed by me, but designed by YOU!

Why:

Because sometimes people have good ideas for one of my projects, but I have to reject them because they don't really fit with what exists or what I'm aiming for. With this era, I never have to reject a good idea!

How:

Okay, here's the rules:

• This era is an experiment; I reserve the right to abandon it completely at any time, if I decide that it isn't being valuable for me anymore.
• The golden rule: With other eras, when I receive a suggestion, I default to not implementing it. With this era, I default to implementing the idea.
• Suggestions: This covers anything posted in this thread or suggested to me on IRC, on the MP server, or anywhere. I'll be keeping a list of all the suggestions, including ones I don't (or haven't yet) manage(d) to implement, in a file in the add-on directory. Suggestions can be any of the following:
  • New factions. If someone says "Make a faction with ninjas that shoot cannons out of their asses!", then I'll make it. (Maybe, like, using the Orcish Assassin unit/graphic, but with a thunderstick and with its facing set to reverse when it attacks? I'm using this example because I hope it's ridiculous enough that no one will actually suggest it. But then maybe I've jinxed it already.)
  • New units. If someone says "The Ass-Ninja faction should have a Paladin Wizard unit on it!", then I'll make that unit.
  • New rules. If someone says "Make it so that forest changes to grassland whenever a unit with a fire attack walks on it!", then consider it done.
  • Abilities. If someone says "Give the Ass-Ninja faction a menu item that lets them teleport units to any location in deep water!", then it will be implemented.
  • Anything else that I haven't come up with, honestly. These ideas are supposed to give a general idea of what I'm looking for, but remember, the default is for the idea to be accepted!
• The exceptions: I will attempt to make this an enumeration of the exceptions - that is, I plan to implement every idea suggested that doesn't fall on this list, subject to my ability to code it all. It's possible that I'll realize I need another exception at some point, but I'll try not to. If there are far more suggestions than I can code, I suppose I'll take the ones that are more interesting to me, but I'll try not to let that bias my work too much.
  • (1) No suggestions that would make the era require download.
  • (2) No suggesting to simply revert a previous addition or change.
  • Similarly, no suggesting mundane things like "Nerf the Ass-Ninja faction", because someone could easily suggest "Buff the Ass-Ninja faction" and then it would be like a revert. If you think the Ass-Ninja faction needs nerfing, suggest a specific idea to nerf it (and if someone else thinks your nerf makes it underpowered, then they have to suggest a specific - and different - buff to make up for it.)
  • Nothing deliberately game-breaking. E.g. don't say "Faction X should have a 'Nuke' ability that kills all enemy leaders on turn 1", because that would make the ideas I've already implemented irrelevant (so this exception is really another generalization of the no-reverts exception.)
  • (3) If it's too hard to code, I won't do it. No suggesting major projects. (Don't let this discourage you, though; some things that you might think of as major projects will be easy for me.)
  • If you suggest something with tons of specifics, I may ignore some of the specifics in favor of implementing the general idea in a way that's easier for me.
  • (4) I will not implement suggestions that violate my principles. For instance, please don't suggest an openly sexist faction idea, 'k?
• The initial state:
  • THERE IS NO INITIAL STATE. THERE ARE NO FACTIONS UNTIL YOU DEMAND THEM.

[Sapient]

It seems like it will be hard to make an era with all-new factions while not violating the #1 exception

( (1) No suggestions that would make the era require download )

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something.

Also, please refrain from using swear words over and over since this is an all-ages forum.

[Molean]

AFAIK, she means download required for anyone other then host. Which I'm told largely means no new graphics. Which can make for a more boring Era then it would be with new graphics, but I understand the reason, I think. So that people can casually join in, thus more likely to join in, right? Perhaps EP doesn't feel like messing with graphics too?

[Elvish_Pillager]

I think Sapient understands what I mean, and is just questioning whether I can make all-new factions without using new graphics or actual new unit types.

Sapient, it helps that every attribute of a unit, except for image and type name, can now be modified in WML. It also helps that I can put unit overlays on units that are significantly distinct from their default version (e.g. the Goblin Suicide Bomber that I coded this morning uses the bomb overlay.) There doesn't seem to be any shortage of ideas coming from the user base.

Basically, unless I had an artist working for me, the only things that I would get from requiring download would be:
- Ability to use ImagePathFunctionWML on unit images (so that I could have recolored units to distinguish them from the normal ones)
- Some cleaner user-interface stuff.

But this is a WML exercise, not an art exercise, so the costs of requiring download outweigh the benefits.

If some insane artist wants to volunteer to work with me, then I'd actually be happy to make this a download-required era. I don't expect one to, though.

[etau97hi1]

uh...a little help?
I have been missing with your code, and when i tried it, It wouldnt load. Any help? It is exactly like yours except I renamed it era of warriors.
This is the _main.cfg file. Wesnoth tells me it is the problem.

Code

Spoiler:

Code: Select all

[textdomain]
    name="wesnoth-Era_of_Warriors"
    path="data/add-ons/Era_of_Warriors/translations"
[/textdomain]

#textdomain wesnoth-Era_of_Warriors

#ifdef MULTIPLAYER

{~add-ons/Era of Warriors/macros}

[era]
id=Era_of_Warriors
name="Era of Warriors
require_era=no
{RANDOM_SIDE}
  [multiplayer_side]
    id=Northerners
    name= _"Northerners"
    image="units/orcs/warrior.png"
    {MAGENTA_IS_THE_TEAM_COLOR}
    type=Orcish Warrior
    leader=Orcish Warrior,Troll,Troll Rocklobber
    recruit=EPDE_Northerners_recruit_hack
    terrain_liked=Hh, Ha, Mm, Ss
    [ai]
      recruitment_pattern=fighter,fighter,fighter,mixed fighter,archer,scout
    [/ai]
  [/multiplayer_side]
  [multiplayer_side]
    id=epde_free_goblins
    name=_"Free Goblins"
    image="units/goblins/rouser.png"
    {MAGENTA_IS_THE_TEAM_COLOR}
    type=Goblin Rouser
    leader=Goblin Rouser
    recruit=EPDE_Free_Goblins_recruit_hack
  [/multiplayer_side]
  [multiplayer_side]
    id=epde_abominations
    name=_"Abominations"
    image="units/undead/shadow-s-1.png"
    {MAGENTA_IS_THE_TEAM_COLOR}
    type=Dark Sorcerer
    leader=Dark Sorcerer
    recruit=EPDE_Abominations_recruit_hack
  [/multiplayer_side]
  [multiplayer_side]
    id=epde_etc
    name=_"Assorted other units"
    image="units/dwarves/fighter.png"
    {MAGENTA_IS_THE_TEAM_COLOR}
    type=Dwarvish Steelclad
    leader=Dwarvish Steelclad
    recruit=EPDE_Assorted_recruit_hack
  [/multiplayer_side]

{USE_EPDE_RECRUITING}

[event]
name=select
first_time_only=no
  {VARIABLE selected_x $x1}
  {VARIABLE selected_y $y1}
[/event]

{~add-ons/Era_of_Warriors/units}


[event]
name=prestart

  {VARIABLE num_free_goblin_sides 0}
  {VARIABLE free_goblin_sides_list 0}

  [store_unit]
    [filter]
      canrecruit=yes
    [/filter]
    variable=leaders
  [/store_unit]
  {FOREACH leaders i}
    [store_side]
      side=$leaders[$i].side
      variable=side
    [/store_side]
    {IF_VAR side.recruit equals EPDE_Free_Goblins_recruit_hack ([then]
      {VARIABLE EPDE_recruits_$leaders[$i].side "Wolf_Rider, Goblin_Spearman"}
      {VARIABLE_OP num_free_goblin_sides add 1}
      {VARIABLE free_goblin_sides_list $free_goblin_sides_list|,$leaders[$i].side}
      {VARIABLE is_free_goblin_side_$leaders[$i].side true}
    [/then])}

    {IF_VAR side.recruit equals EPDE_Northerners_recruit_hack ([then]
      {VARIABLE EPDE_recruits_$leaders[$i].side "Wolf_Rider, Goblin_Spearman, Goblin_Suicide_Bomber, Troll_Whelp"}
    [/then])}

    {IF_VAR side.recruit equals EPDE_Abominations_recruit_hack ([then]
      {VARIABLE EPDE_recruits_$leaders[$i].side "Shadow_Priest, Fiend, Slime, Shadow Healer"}
    [/then])}

    {IF_VAR side.recruit equals EPDE_Assorted_recruit_hack ([then]
      {VARIABLE EPDE_recruits_$leaders[$i].side "Ogre, Dwarvish_Artillery"}
    [/then])}

    
    {IF_VAR leaders[$i].race equals troll ([then]
      [object]
        silent=yes
        [filter]
          x=$leaders[$i].x
          y=$leaders[$i].y
        [/filter]
        [effect]
          apply_to=new_ability
          [abilities]
            {ABILITY_GRUFF}
          [/abilities]
        [/effect]
      [/object]
    [/then])}
  {NEXT i}
[/event]

[event]
name=recruit
first_time_only=no
[filter]
  race=goblin
  [or]
    type=Wolf Rider
  [/or]
[/filter]
  {IF_VAR is_free_goblin_side_$unit.side boolean_equals true ([else] # else
    {RANDOM $free_goblin_sides_list}
    {IF_VAR random greater_than 0 ([then]
      {VARIABLE unit.side $random}
      [unstore_unit]
        variable=unit
      [/unstore_unit]
    [/then])}
  [/else])}
[/event]



[event]
name=start
[message]
speaker=narrator
message=_"This is Elvish Pillager's Popular Demand Era! I will make a good-faith attempt to implement every suggestion made to me.

<span size='large'>Right-click to recruit. Normal recruiting doesn't work in this era.</span>"
    image=wesnoth-icon.png
[/message]
[/event]



[/era]

#endif

Edit:
Thank you EP, you fixed my first problem.
But now, Im having more codeing problems. When i try to enter multiplay, I get this error. (Picture) Whats wrong?

[Luther]

Here's one: Make a Magical Girl faction that only includes units like Elvish Shamans, Mermaid Initiates, and female Mages and Dark Adepts. Maybe throw in some of the sexier units from the mainline campaigns, like Princess. Although that might violate rule #1. They'd be invisible to anyone who doesn't have the relevant campaigns installed. People could suggest new unit types as appropriate.

You might want to include units whose gender is ambiguous, like Saurian Augurs and Ghosts.

Yes, I've been watching too much anime...

[Elvish_Pillager]

Hmm. Looks like I need another exception after all.

(4) I will not implement suggestions that violate my principles.

[zaladore]

heres one a race of forum smilie face, or a race of dogs, or a race of evil clowns like penywise or the killer klowns, just the idea though
***
or a faction of wenoth wml editors.
***
how about a faction of nymphs, and satrys.

[artisticdude]

I was thinking of creating an era of Wesnoth forum members, where registered members would sign up and if possible give a custom sprite to represent themselves. The problems with this are the user names (names like mine wouldn't really be appropriate) and the inevitable debate about who is lvl 1, who has what abilities, etc. But I thought I'd throw it out here all the same.

[Velensk]

An easy solution would be to make everybody level 1 and just have a wide veriety of AMLAs.

I have no idea how you would design the gameplay for such an era though.

[artisticdude]

I'd actually undertake this idea myself, but I'm afraid I just couldn't stand the balancing process... minute changes here and there, etc. etc. On the other hand, if only one faction was created, then it'd be a lot easier...

An easy solution would be to make everybody level 1 and just have a wide veriety of AMLAs.

Or have them advance according to their forum rank (so registered users would advance to forum regulars, who would advance to contributors or moderators, etc.). The problem with this is that the ratio of registered users to users with titles who sign up would almost certainly result in a higher number of registered users.

EDIT: In which case we could have them level up to other registered users who have been around longer, are more influential/active on the forums, or something like that.

@e_s: but I wouldn't be in the era, my username doesn't really fit.

[monochromatic]

off-topic:

@artisticdude you would have to make me a co-Lead Developer along with Dave, or I'll kill you in-game and level-up.

And of course I'm joking.

@e_s:

Made me smile.

[Hulavuta]

Instead of a full-on Mp era, maybe a Campaign or MP scenario where there are a bunch of forum members, (as Heroes) and they have to fight Moderators (kind of like Matrix Agents) and separated into levels. Like one level you fight all the WML guys, and the boss could be zookeeper. Another level you fight Art guys, and the boss is TSI or Jetrel or something. Another level could be UMC creators, and the boss is shadowmaster. Music guys, and West is the boss, and then the last level could be Developers with the boss being Ivonavic or Dave or something.


@artisticdude: If you're interested, I'd be interested in working on it too.

[artisticdude]

Instead of a full-on Mp era, maybe a Campaign or MP scenario where there are a bunch of forum members, (as Heroes) and they have to fight Moderators (kind of like Matrix Agents) and separated into levels. Like one level you fight all the WML guys, and the boss could be zookeeper. Another level you fight Art guys, and the boss is TSI or Jetrel or something. Another level could be UMC creators, and the boss is shadowmaster. Music guys, and West is the boss, and then the last level could be Developers with the boss being Ivonavic or Dave or something.

Yeah, but I just can't bring myself to try and sprite tsi or Jetrel... they'd kill me.

[zaladore]

cool idea