Lowered squad size

[bk3000]

In the newest experimental build you lowered the max squad size. If I had known ahead of time then I would not have downloaded it at all. I'd revert if I had thought to make a copy. I didn't see this change coming.

I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.

Yeah I can move multiple squads at once to maintain group size but that is a large hassle because you really can't select both at once.

10 people is too small for a squad. If you think 20 is too big, then at least give us 16 (two rows across with 8 in a row). Although I'd rather you left it at 20. If I want smaller squads then I could just choose to put less people in them. I'd really rather that be my choice.

[Butta]

It can be easily modded to whatever you like, don't worry.
In the top bar of the FCS you can find "Global game settings" and there is a faction section where you can find the max squad size.

[bk3000]

It can be easily modded to whatever you like, don't worry.
In the top bar of the FCS you can find "Global game settings" and there is a faction section where you can find the max squad size.

Thanks for the info.

[Zeal]

I agree that the reduction in size is annoying. It would be one thing if there was an easier way to atleast select them all with a click and drag. It CAN be done, but it's more of a hassle. You can also select the tab, and press the tilde key, then select the next, and then press the tilde key again. Repeat for all squads you wish to select and you can move as many as you wish at the same time. Again.. it's a hassle, but atleast a workaround. And i'd definately prefer to see 20 portraits in the same window, as you have no real way of currently seeing when someone in an inactive tab comes under attack. The red blinking of the portrait is a nice indicator for that, but... can't see that if the tab isn't active..

[Chompster]

Why have a limit on squads all together actually? Why not just leave it to the player to manage his people as he sees fit and just have them organize groups of players as they see fit.

If it's a technical limitation, then the max possible would be preferred imo.

[Zeal]

Why have a limit on squads all together actually? Why not just leave it to the player to manage his people as he sees fit and just have them organize groups of players as they see fit.

If it's a technical limitation, then the max possible would be preferred imo.

Agreed... This would be much preferred. let people organize their units to their own convenience...

[PnzrNorm]

It can be easily modded to whatever you like, don't worry.
In the top bar of the FCS you can find "Global game settings" and there is a faction section where you can find the max squad size.

[BloodyNex]

I think the main 2 reasons for this are to make the unit selection more consistent (any unit can be selected with a mixture of the tab and 1-0 keys) by default and the change in character portrait displays (the fact that they're a single row of scaling portraits, meaning that at a certain size the portraits would look too small). I definitely agree that there should be some indication when an undisplayed squad is getting attacked, flashing the tab text to red would be consistent with the portrait indication.

[WCG]

It can be easily modded to whatever you like, don't worry.

Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case for me. Oh, sure, it's easy to change the squad size with Forgotten Construction Set.exe (well, once you kind folks explained how to do it ), but it screws up everything else in my game.

I'm guessing that the Forgotten Construction Set randomizes settings in the game, every time you start it? At least, I've started it twice, and it started with different numbers for squad size and maximum number of characters each time. (Unfortunately, those were the only two settings I noticed, since I don't have a clue how everything else is normally set, anyway.)

While my mod did change the maximum squad size, it had the side-effect of instantly killing several of my characters the moment we encountered an enemy. (The enemy died just as quickly, but that was hardly much consolation.) The second time I tried it, I noticed that research times had gone through the roof, too. But I wasn't looking around for other problems, given the severity of the first one (which happened both times).

So, is there any way to change squad size without changing everything else - or anything else - in the game? Is there any way to... well, load the default settings into the Forgotten Construct Set, maybe? I don't know what the default settings even are, or I could enter them all manually (although that would be a huge pain in the butt).

Or - which is probably more likely - am I just missing something here?

PS. I like the idea of the tab flashing red when an inactive squad is under attack. Admittedly, only four tabs show up at a time, and I've got seven squads, but they're usually only at two separate locations, at most.

[Butta]

but it screws up everything else in my game.

and it started with different numbers for squad size and maximum number of characters each time

It's not supposed to be this way. It should be a fixed value actually.. Everywhere where something gets randomised you are able to set the random number too.

it had the side-effect of instantly killing several of my characters the moment we encountered an enemy

I noticed that research times had gone through the roof

Are you sure you didn't change anything else? But I might know what's wrong.. see below.

well, load the default settings into the Forgotten Construct Set, maybe?

I don't know what the default settings even are, or I could enter them all manually

It seems like you edited "gamedata.base" itself which could cause these problems. I think it's my fault for not saying that you have to create a .mod file yourself before. Sorry!
See this thread: http://www.lofigames.com/phpBB3/viewtop ... f=11&t=448
I wrote it down so many times I simply forgot it respectively I was too lazy. By editing the already mentioned "gamedata.base" you are doing direct changes to your game. I'm not sure why it causes these kinds of bugs, but it seems like that's the problem. You can delete the file and validate the game files with Steam. If you still encounter bugs, try deleting the whole "data" folder and validate again.

[WCG]

and it started with different numbers for squad size and maximum number of characters each time

It's not supposed to be this way. It should be a fixed value actually.

I double-clicked on Forgotten Construction Set.exe, then clicked on Global Game Settings. That was all I did, at first, but I was surprised to see that the squad size was already set to 20. (It surprised me because, in my game, the maximum was 10.)

I left that alone, but changed the character limit to 200, instead of 100. Then I saved it as Larger_squad_size.mod, exited the Forgotten Construction Set, and added the mod name to mods.cfg.

Note that I didn't touch anything else. I didn't even look at anything else. Right away, I had problems with my characters dropping dead, so I went back to look at it. But this time, when I opened the Forgotten Construction Set and clicked on Global Game Settings, the squad size was set to 10 and the maximum characters to 50.

Neither of those numbers was the same as when I first opened the Forgotten Construction Set, and neither was what I'd changed it to when I made the mod, either. Furthermore, I did have a maximum of 20 in my squad when I was playing with the mod enabled, and when I then loaded the mod in the Forgotten Construction Set, it showed 20 and 200, respectively - exactly as it should have.

So I really don't understand any of this.

Are you sure you didn't change anything else?

Yes, I'm sure. I could always be wrong, but I'm still sure. I don't normally even use mods, let alone make them, and I'm paranoid about screwing up my games.

It seems like you edited "gamedata.base" itself which could cause these problems.

I don't know how, since:

1) I only saved the changes I made in the Forgotten Construction Set to "Larger_squad_sizes.mod."

2) The squad size and character limit were not the same when I opened the Forgotten Construction Set that second time - not the same as they were the first time, but also not the same as they were in my mod (or in my game, while I was using the mod).

3) Removing "Larger_squad_sizes.mod" from mods.cfg fixed the problems completely. If I'd accidentally edited "gamedata.base," wouldn't the problems have persisted?

See this thread: http://www.lofigames.com/phpBB3/viewtop ... f=11&t=448

OK, I did all that except for #3: press the open button, select all the mods to inherit from "you want at least gamedata.base, and tick your own mod".

That's not too clear. Are you saying that, when using the Forgotten Construction Set, I have to load it with "gamedata.base"? Well, that's the problem, then. I don't know where the Forgotten Construction Set gets the numbers it starts with, but clearly, they weren't the numbers in "gamedata.base," since I never messed with that.

The instructions I originally got here said nothing about that, so it's almost certainly my problem, don't you think? (At this point, I'll probably just live with the 10 squad size limit, since I'm a bit gun-shy about all this now.)

I don't know what you mean by "tick your own mod," though, since that's the mod I'm trying to create, the mod I'd currently be editing in the Forgotten Construction Set. But maybe you're talking about editing a mod you've already created?

By editing the already mentioned "gamedata.base" you are doing direct changes to your game. I'm not sure why it causes these kinds of bugs, but it seems like that's the problem. You can delete the file and validate the game files with Steam. If you still encounter bugs, try deleting the whole "data" folder and validate again.

Yeah, I understand that. Thanks. I don't think that will be necessary, since I don't have any problems as long as I don't try to run that mod. But I'll keep it in mind. Thanks.

[Butta]

Oh, you actually did create a .mod file! But since you skipped step 3 you totally confused the game
Your .mod file tells the game to set the number to something specific but gamedata.base is trying the same. Normally the mod simply overwrites gamedata.base but by skipping step 3 it does not, resulting in these bugs I think.
At the moment the character limit is set to 50 by default, but the 100 you mentioned can be seen by not loading up the mod with gamedata.base.

I feel a bit guilty for causing you so much trouble. Especially since it was your first try at modding.

Here's a complete tutorial on how to change squad size:


0. Open up the Forgotten Construction Set, found in your Kenshi main directory.

1. Click "New" OR "Save" to create a new mod. Name it to whatever you want. I will go with "larger_squads".


2. Press the "Load" button..


.. and tick "gamedata.base" (probably already selected) and your own mod you just created.
Your list won't look exactly like this, I just tested a lot of stuff.


Afterwards press "DONE".

3. Click on "Global game settings".


4. There's a section called "faction" where you can find the max squad size (and other stuff).


Change it to whatever you want. I chose 25 units.


5. Press Save again and quit the FCS.

6. Open up your mods.cfg found here: \Kenshi\data
Add your mod as a new line like this:

(I'm using Notepad++ just because I prefer it, but it can be opened like a normal .txt)

7. Done!

[WCG]

Thanks, Butta. That's very clear.

Now that I know what went wrong, I'll definitely give it another try. Thanks, again!