Question for modders: Can a mesh associated with a town be swapped during gameplay?

Actually I have a few other questions someone might have some input for. But the title question is the primary one which someone might have suggestion I havn't thought of. You're welcome to comment on any element you wish.

• Objective

I have a rough outline for a new module called Peasant Uprising where you start out as a farmer. Not going to give spoilers on the off chance this module ever sees the light of day. Really tired of the nobility track. It wouldn't effect the ability to go through the standard nobility track, but would be generally incompatible with the nobility track. The concept is to have a new center type, i.e., refugee camps. With a progression track required to take control. Probably not visible at the start of the game. But I also want to be able to upgrade these camps into villages, towns, and cities. Even castles that can be upgraded to cities. The problem is the game internally treats these as distinctly different object (troop) types. But in module_game_menus you can effectively unify the menu options for all 3. It fact the entire menu system can depend of you initial alignment so that nothing changes of you play the standard nobility track, except for position of a few centers being shifted slightly and a few extra camps.

So the idea is to convert all centers to city type centers, but still assign the mesh for encampments, villages, cities, etc representing their state of development. Then create an upgrade tree where the availability of certain center upgrades are dependent on lower tiered upgrades already built. Then the difference between encampments, villages, cities, etc., is determined by the existence of certain upgrades already completed. The existence of the upgrades would then also determine the menu items available for that center. The different menus villages, cities, et al., have is then determined by upgrade progress, rather than the [spt_village, spt_town, etc.] constants defined in module_constants. You're basically just swapping which variables are being tested for before including certain menus and/or menu items.

But to pull this off reasonably well the mesh for refugee camps (bandit camp mesh) will have to be swapped out in game, from what was defined for them in module_map_icons, as certain building upgrades complete. And that's my primary question, is it possible to swap these meshes interactively in game, and how?

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Bonus question:

The companions will be usable in a slightly different manner late game as administrators, with the player maintaining a more hands on administration of centers after being turned over to vassals. I also want to be able to give orders to prioritize their objectives. The only viable mechanism for doing this would be through toggling certain subsets of their personality traits. How would you go about toggling personality traits interactively in game?

Submitted October 31, 2018 at 02:46PM by mywan https://ift.tt/2F3KC3g