Using Dread Lords ARC

[mumblefratz]

I put this out here because I couldn't seem to add an attachment in any of the more secure forums.

All in all I don't think it's a big deal to talk about this publicly, after all this is KP's secret not ours.

I've attached what seems to come closest to working for me. In this case I've renamed it to a .txt file so that I can attach it but if you delete the .txt and make the customracexml portion of the name the extension then this seems to read in fine as a Dread Lords RaceID 23 but using the Torian leader, descriptions, etc.

In this case I did not change the CivType to 5 and left it as the normal 4 for a major race. I also changed the starting techs and intrinsic abilities to be consistent with the Dread Lords values from the RaceConfig.xml file.

So what happens is that I can start a game and I cen even select and edit the "Torians" in the normal manner and theres no problem. This is somewhat significant because if I had changed an ability that was not consistent with RaceID 23 then I would have gotten immediate notification that was a bad raceconfig. So up to that point everything looks good.

However as soon as I attempt to start a gme I get a Windows exception and the "we're sorry but GalCiv2 has to close" message.

If I change civtype to 5 then although the "Torians" are configured as an opponent I cannot edit or even select them. It's as if they weren't there except their picture in on the list and it does list 9 opponents. However attempting to start the game in this case results in the same exception.

I did try to sound out maiden in a PM. He was pretty discrete claiming "empire secret" and all that but he did say the following.

"I shall be vague as most of these stuff actually is secret to the Empire. I hope for your understanding of this."

"The DL's "ARC" is, in fact, not a real ARC but some kind of glitch that can appear during the setup. Can't say what it exactly caused but this way it has been created first time (and noticed during the game). It does provide a fair advantage in a ZYW, and hence, in a big game, too - although one would have to make a specific strategy around it to use it for its full advantage."

The only thing at this point that I can think of is that they are using DA v2.01 and I'm using DA v1.80g. Also his wording seems to imply that somehow a "glitch" caused the first occurance of the ARC and then it can successfully be reused.

If anyone still has a DA v2.01 setup could you check and see if perhaps this is rev dependent. If not then I don't think there's much else that I could try or even try to guess as to how one would come about "discovering" this ARC.

I'm also thinking about bringing this up in open forum to see if they can stand the light of day shining on this. After all the Dread Lords are by no strech of the imagination a normally allowed opponent and although there are elements of "regular" ARC such as setting all opponents to Super Breeder that could be argued that are outside the bounds of "normal" ARC, at least this ability has been published and discussed and because everyone knows about it that makes it essentially fair.

Anyway your thoughts?

Plus if anyone does still have DA v2.01 installed could you at least give it a quick try to see if you can just start a game with this file?

[DethAdder]

I tried it and got the "has stopped working" dialogue as soon as I tried to load the map with that xml as an opponent.

I have a meta game I started with DA, but no ARCs or funny business. Decided if i'm going to play, even meta it will stay mostly for fun and the hell with score. I mainly started the game to make sure my UI mod I just made is Meta compatible(it is ) but thought, what the hell I'll play it.