#knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing Act\"
 

So, this is starting to annoy me somewhat and I could really use some help. Using #knownfeature on anything except a starting province appears completely random. Of course, things are rarely actually random, so if someone could explain it, that'd be great.

If I use #knownfeature on my home province, it works out great. I can put anything there, be it some underwater castle magic site or a forest in a barren - I always, 100% guarenteed, get whatever I try to get.

But when I do it to a province that's going to take a couple of turns to get to, it appears completely random. SOMETIMES, the magic site is there. SOMETIMES only 2/3 of the magic sites are there. SOMETIMES there's no magic sites at all.

Is there some system to this that I'm missing? I'm trying to make a custom map with a lot of pre-placed magic sites (i.e. if the map shows a building, cave, tower or pillar there, odds are that there'll be a cave/mine, tower/pillar or other magic site there - at least that's the goal).

What gives?

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing Act\"
 

do the same provinces show each time or do some show all the time and some never..

post the lines of your provinces

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing Act\"
 

Use #killfeatures first. Random sites are assigned first, and any #knownfeatures that are added after the fourth total site are ignored. If you get one of three #knownfeatures, the province already had three sites etc.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

Post the lines? Really, it's very straightforward, it's basicly:

#setland 109
#knownfeature "The Hidden Kingdom of Elludia"
#knownfeature "Totem Collection"

Last game, only Totem Collection showed up. The game before that, none of them.

Rinse and repeat with different setland # and knownfeatures. Like I said, this always work for my starting province, no matter what I put in it - but in other provinces, it appears to be random wheter or not they show up.

Another custom province is:

#setland 111
#knownfeature "Howling Gorge"
#knownfeature "Academy of High Magics"
#knownfeature "White Man Hill"
#poptype 34
#lab

One game, Howling Gorge and AoHM showed up just fine. Last game, only WMH showed up. This is incredibly annoying, since I have to play for an hour or so every time I want to see if this works out or not. And these are just two examples.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

Ah! Of course! Thanks, that will probably work! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Just one question, though; Will this prevent future random sites? Say that I do:

#setland 111
#killfeatures
#knownfeature "Howling Gorge"

Will this prevent me from finding future, random sites? Will I actually have to assign #feature to find something there, later?

Again, thanks. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

Yes. It will wipe out all of the random sites that would have been placed by the game, so #feature is what you would need to place some hidden sites for future discovery.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

You will also notice that the provinces where your #known feature was placed have 4 sites, which was what pushed it out.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

I have used it as a fun feature though. To randomly scatter magic sites. Or set the .map file to fill in certain locations that appear special on the map with sites that were not fantastic but abit of use, just to make sure that location was maxxed out with 4 sites. Since the game re-randomized each time I played, the results were different each time but always ended up four. Sometimes the game put 4 randoms there. Sometimes 3, and one of my fills would kick in. Sometimes 2 randoms and 2 of my fills would kick in.

Hmmm I dont remember. I wonder if the random equipment command for commanders work the same way on maps

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

#randomequip works on map edits. I have not had any success using it on dm files though.

I love magic and gems and always edit my maps to #features 100. I would estimate that 3/4 of all provinces get 4 sites that way.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

It's a mod-only command, but I think Gandalf was thinking of #additem. I'm not sure which is read first. Perhaps they are executed in order they are given?

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

I cannot say. I have never combined them on a commander.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

It gets confusing when map commands are so close to mod commands. But yes, it seemed to be a map discussion so I didnt mention it as a map thought.

If #knownfeature will add to the items already randomly added, then does #equip follow #randomequip? Does the order matter? I seem to remember using #equip to gaurantee a specific item, then follow it up with #randomequip to fill out the commander and make it interesting each time the map was played. But if #randomequip came first, then would #equip simply give the items IF there was that slot still left?

Sorry. I tend to think it hacker mode. Every bug is a feature waiting to be discovered.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

I've got a dozen maps at home with commanders having one or the other command. No problem to run a couple of tests tonight. I'll #equip an unique armor and test away.

BTW, if you use #randomequip 4 on a mage with 4 or 5 paths, you get an insane number of gems. There is a strong relationship between path strength and number of gems acquired this way, but like many other things in the game, there is a significent randomness also.

I made a flying mage with 4 paths across the board to play with site searching. When I #randomequipped 4 this chap he would often get 100+ gems and slaves.

Re: #knownfeature and maps; aka \"the Disappearing
 

That's really a brilliant idea Gandalf. I had always seen the feature/killfeature thing as a bit of a kludge, but now I see it as truly elegant. Thank you for that.