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How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 22 Mar 2020, 20:09
by Bogdan
Hi everyone! I've already discuss this theme in other topic, but I think it's something other people could be interested in.
I know there's a way to use custom .aip in scenario with command
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AI_ChangePersonality(playerID, "bully.aip");
However, I can't find the way to make this work as there's no obvious place for custom aips. I tried to put .aip file in different
Documents\Empire Earth II folders and also in
Empire Earth 2 Gold Edition\aips, but it never worked; the scenario continues to use Skirmish_Default.aip every time.
Nevertheless, there's a scenario in Unofficial Patch, which uses (or tries to) custom aips. It's "Survival Egypt" in EE2X. I've found this in its code:
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AI_ChangePersonality(4, "/EE2X/run/AIPS_EE2X/Skirmish_Default.aip");
AI_ChangePersonality(4, "/EE2X/run/AIPS_EE2X/Skirmish_Hardest.aip");
AI_ChangePersonality(2, "/EE2X/run/AIPS_EE2X/Skirmish_Default.aip");
AI_ChangePersonality(2, "/EE2X/run/AIPS_EE2X/Skirmish_Hardest.aip");
So I put .aip file in
Empire Earth 2 Gold Edition\aips and tried
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AI_ChangePersonality(5, "/EE2/run/AIPS/myfile.aip");
but, unfortunately, no result. May be this command is only suitable for EE2X or may be AI_ChangePersonality doesn't work at all. May be there's other way to control AI behaviour? Does anyone know?
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 22 Mar 2020, 20:36
by Dr.MonaLisa
Have you tried to use:
AI_ChangePersonality(4, "Skirmish_Default.aip");
(without the "/EE2X/run/AIPS_EE2X/" path)?
I never used custom aips so can't help much. Hopefully someone else would know it.
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 23 Mar 2020, 08:28
by Bogdan
Nope.. Because scenario is already using Skirmish_Default, by default. I’ve used my own aip’s name, of course, but it didn’t work.
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 23 Mar 2020, 10:09
by calsch03
Hello Bogdan,
I've messed around with aip's in the past. The aip's have to be placed in the Empire Earth 2 Gold Edition\aips or for the expansion AIPS_EE2X folders.
Aip files are a bit tricky to get to work and to be honest, they don't work well for survival Egypt as the AI don't build most buildings.
I've get it to work in a hobby project. I've modified the aip for the three kingdoms scenario so the ai would use builders instead of civilians.
In the script the aip must be called like this:
- Screenshot_1.png (8.8 KiB) Viewed 3383 times
If you use aip's, it's very important that you use the following setting in the map editor. The AI script has to be set on None, otherwise your aip doesn't work.
Some aip's require a specific civilisation like mine, but that's not for every aip script.
- Screenshot_2.png (50.83 KiB) Viewed 3383 times
I've also been working on a campaign. For that I've used the Skirmish aip. I've combined it with the civilization aip and some aggressive military aip's, this works a lot better than just the skirmish aip and it feels a lot more like the skirmish AI. You can try and add the Hardest.aip to this if you want, but for me this wasn't necessary as the AI was already good enough for the first mission.
- Screenshot_3.png (5.81 KiB) Viewed 3383 times
Feel free to ask if you have any more questions.
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 23 Mar 2020, 19:51
by Bogdan
Thank you for your help! The answer was really just lying on the surface. Now, after I set map editor right, I can finally use my .aip file.
Unfortunately, there's now an error message every time AI capturing a territory:
- Unhandled Exception.png (6.44 KiB) Viewed 3373 times
Mona, may be you know what it's all about?
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 23 Mar 2020, 20:46
by Dr.MonaLisa
No, it's somewhere near:
- nonononono.PNG (97.15 KiB) Viewed 3368 times
There are AI related functions close this part of the code, but it's never possible to detect what's wrong by the EIP address.
You could load a default AI script and see if still crashes. If it doesn't, then there must be an error in the new file you created. So then, long time need to be spent to detect what exactly causes it. This is how EE2 scripting works :/
Btw. thanks calsch03, for detailed guide!
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 23 Mar 2020, 21:15
by Bogdan
Default .aips work fine. Ok, thank you, I’ll try to make .aip file with the minimum changes compared to the default one.
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 24 Mar 2020, 19:23
by Bogdan
Hm, looks like the game is still crashes with an .aip file with no changes compared to the Skirmish_Default one.
So I think there's no way to load custom .aip with no issues, default files only
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 29 Mar 2020, 20:25
by calsch03
Hi Bogdan,
I may have found a solution for your crash with custom aip. You need to make a new aip file and start with the following code:
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// $Header: /run/AIPS/Skirmish_Default.aip 38 5/05/05 3:46p Kwasserman $
// The basic skirmish aip, EVERYONE should load this first, then override only the interesting bits
#include "AipStructures.h"
After that you only copy the stuff from the Skirmish_Default.aip that you want to change and change it in the new file.
In your script you need to first load the unmodified Skirmish_Default.aip and after that load your custom aip. The game will now load the vanilla aip and overwrite some values with your custom aip.
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AI_ChangePersonality(2, "Skirmish_Default.aip");
AI_ChangePersonality(2, "Civ_Turkish.aip");
AI_ChangePersonality(2, "Skirmish_Custom.aip");
In my tests this removed the crashing problem when the ai captures a new territory.
I've copied your changes in the Skirmish_Custom.aip.
Re: How to make custom .aip files work
Posted: 30 Mar 2020, 18:04
by Bogdan
Unfortunately, I have the same issue again. In addition, AI armies are stuck from time to time, despite all the efforts