The New Modify Protounit Triggers (Scenario Editor)

[Stark22e]

Hello there,

First of all, thanks to the developers for adding these new triggers in the scenario editor !

ColonelJayce you have been heard! (see his thread “Modify Protounit needs to be a top priority” in Discussion)

The last patch added four new triggers :

And it’s completely magical! It works !!! After 15 years of old Modify Protounit trigger (totally broken and inherited from age of mythology).

Look at Bob, my mighty musketeer:

(It’s a French musketeer, so the UI is in French indeed )

How did I do that? I simply used the new “Modify Protounit Action” Trigger

I was a bit stuck on the “Action” field, I have to fill it manually. Finally I found the list of action names in the files of the old game ( data/proto.xml ). But I can give you a few if you want to test without modder tips.

Some unit actions (click here)

Musketeer:
BuildingAttack
DefendHandAttack
DefendRangedAttack
MeleeHandAttack
StaggerHandAttack
StaggerRangedAttack
VolleyHandAttack
VolleyRangedAttack

Pikeman
BuildingAttack
CoverBuildingAttack
CoverHandAttack
DefendHandAttack
MeleeHandAttack

Hussar
BuildingAttack
DefendHandAttack
GuardianAttack
MeleeHandAttack
TrampleHandAttack

Settler
BlunderbussAttack
BuildingAttack
ChopAttack
Build
Gather

Falconet
CannonAttack

Caravel
BroadsideAttack
Gather
RangedAttack

Explorer
Build
BuildingAttack
CrackshotAttack
HandAttack
Heal
SharpshooterAttack
SwashbucklerAttack
VolleyRangedAttack

Outpost
AntiShipAttack
CannonAttack
RangedAttack

.
Attention! If you modify an action in one formation mode, you must also change it in the other modes.

For example, if I only change the VolleyRangedAttack of Bob, if Bob goes into Stagger formation, the changes are no longer applied (you also have to change his StaggerRangedAttack).

I’m so happy with this change! I love the scenario editor, I love this game. Thank you ColonelJayce! Thank you developers!

[DanielPereira77]

Hello there!

Thanks for the kind words and for your appreciation! I’m really glad to hear those new effects are being explored by the community already!

Also, a small undocumented tip regarding the Damage and Damage Bonus attributes, specifically: for these two attributes, if the action name is left blank, it will affect all unit actions, increasing or decreasing damage (or damage bonus multiplier for a particular unittype) for all of them ^^

[Troteck]

Merci Stark22e je me suis pas encore trop attardé sur la range je n’avais pas encore regardé le champ action merci pour l’info c’est cool.
Parce que j’avais testé la range mais cela n’a pas fonctionné c’est grâce à l’action?

[Stark22e]

Oui c’est exactement ça. Les modifications de portée, de vitesse et de zone d’attaque ont besoin du champ Action, sinon il ne se passe rien.

Chose amusante, “Action Enable” permet en théorie d’ajouter ou de supprimer une action. Par exemple, j’ai enlevé l’action VolleyRangedAttack au mousquetaire (en faisant un Assign avec une Value à 0). Du coup, mon mousquetaire ne pouvait plus tirer et était obligé d’aller en mêlée, même s’il était dans le mode de tir normal.

Peu être qu’il y a moyen d’ajouter une action de ramassage de ressource en y ajoutant Gather. Tout seul il n’a pas l’air de marcher, mais peut-être en combinaison avec le déclencheur “Modify Protounit Action Unit Type” (je testerai la prochaine fois).

[Troteck]

Merci pour ta réponse je testerais tous ça quand je pourrais.
J’ai une autre question sais-tu comment utilisé le unit set passive mode et le unit set tactic c’est quelque chose qui est nouveau pour moi je ne sais pas quand cela a-t-il été rajouté.
J’ai essayé le unit passive mode et j’ai pas vraiment compris l’utilité et pour le tactic j’imagine que c’est les positions de placement comme en multi j’ai essayer des actions mais ça n’a rien fais soit c’étais pas des animations sois j’ai utilisé les mauvaises?

[Stark22e]

Non je ne sais pas. But maybe someone on the forum has the information on this triggers.

[Stark22e]

@Troteck

pour le tactic j’imagine que c’est les positions de placement comme en multi j’ai essayer des actions mais ça n’a rien fais soit c’étais pas des animations sois j’ai utilisé les mauvaises?

I got it !

The “Unit Set tactic” trigger changes the Unit stance:

Unit stance (Age of Empires III)

I tested several words:
Cover
Stagger
Defend
Melee
Bombard
Limber
Trample
Stealth

“Bombard” is really useful for setting artillery. “Stealth” if you want to make a spy invisible.

NB: “Defend” set both Defend mode and Stand ground mode. But this Stand mode is broken, the Defend mode is priority (see image below).

[DrMaxy4142]

Told you they will love it !
TZhanks for doing it <3 <3 <3

[Troteck]

Merci beaucoup Stark22e tu ma fais gagné un temps fou en recherche et test, c’est super.
J’ai enfin pu créer un environnement plus sympa pour une de mes cartes les plus ambitieuse mais extrêmement longue que j’avais arrêter, je pense la finir ce week-end.
Demande moi si tu veux des tips plus tard pour te remercier en retour.

[Stark22e]

@Stark22e

Maybe there is a way to add a resource gathering action by adding the “Gather” action.

It doesn’t work with a musketeer, but it works with a skirmisher.

For that, I used:
The Modify Protounit Action trigger and enable the Gather action
The Modify Protounit Unit Type trigger and add the “BerryBush” type to the Gather action (Assign “Work Rate” 0.5)
-The Modify Protounit Unit Type trigger and add the “Tree” type to the Gather action (Assign “Work Rate” 0.5)
-The Modify Protounit Unit Type trigger and add the “AbstractMine” type to the Gather action (Assign “Work Rate” 0.5)
-The Modify Protounit Unit Type trigger and add the “Huntable” type to the Gather action (Assign “Work Rate” 0.5)

-The Modify Protounit Action trigger and enable the Hunting action
-The Modify Protounit Unit Type trigger and add the “Huntable” type to the Hunting action (Assign “Work Rate” 1.0)
-The Modify Protounit Unit Type trigger and add the “Tree” type to the Hunting action (Assign “Work Rate” 1.0)

-The Modify Protounit Action trigger and enable the CrateGather action
-The Modify Protounit Unit Type trigger and add the “AbstractResourceCrate” type to the CrateGather action (Assign “Work Rate” 8.0)

-The Modify Protounit Action trigger and enable the ChopAttack action

That’s all !

It doesn’t work on most units. I think they are missing the gather animations. The skirmisher has them because he’s the Finnish revolutionary (it’s a reskin)

Note that allows the Mexican filibuster (Baja California revolution) to gather crates and mines and the revolutionaries of Valley Forge (Nathaniel campaign) to gather other ressources (but not creates)

[Stark22e]

Another tip about the range modification.

You can change the range of a mortar, but its projectile is limited to a distance of 140. Beyond, the projectile disappears.

But, 140 is a nice range, its twice the monitor and fixed gun range.

This range limiation does not concern other projectile. For example, my fixed gun can attack this buildings at the other end of the map with a range of 1000.

See the fixed gun location on the minimap

NB: change the LOS attribut with the “Modify Protouit Data” trigger to see extra-far targets.

Next tip, with a swedish card you can allow mortars to attack units.

Use the Set Tech Status trigger and search “DEHCBarrage”.

After that you can also change this attack with the “Modify Protounit Action” trigger. The action name is “BarrageAttack”.

Real pounding in AoE3:

[Troteck]

Its use would be fun in a tower defense

[SoullessHeathen]

Can these be used to add units and techs to buildings?

[Troteck]

it seems to me that this is more to change the attributes than the actual structure of the element.

[SoullessHeathen]

Alright. One can hope.

[Troteck]

The editor of Starcraft II is the one with which I had the most freedom in terms of modification as well as it could quickly become very complex.
The Age of Empire III DE editor is pretty basic it offers some functionality that are enough to create a map and make triggers but it lacks a lot , a lot of triggers that would make the game more fun on a lot of aspect but I don’t think the AOE III system helps them to also model the editor.
To be able to create a more push editor I hope to see this on AOE IV.
They start from 0 so there is the possibility of imagining a complete editor and considering the possible actions in age of empire IV in the campaign, I think the editor will be much more complete.
Otherwise for what you asked I don’t think it will be possible one day on AOE III via the editor.

[SoullessHeathen]

Such functionality is possible through techs, so I don’t see why triggers couldn’t do it. I want to be able to make complex changes to a civ’s tech tree in custom scenarios without using mods.

[Stark22e]

You can use the “Unforbid and Enable Unit” to add some new units in their usual training buildings (for example: add musketeer for Dutch or Germans in the barracks).

But it doesn’t work for all civilizations (you can’t add musketeers for Lakota or Japaneses). The training building must be coded to contain this unit.

Unfortunately it doesn’t work for technologies.

[Troteck]

Yes but for example allowing houses to produce musketeers this is not possible I think more about this kind of manipulation.

[SoullessHeathen]

I know, but what I’m trying to do is more complex than that.