Tip: To Generate MANY Gods

[Gandalf Parker]

Ive often created a god multiple times to get the epithets (titles) I wanted after his name. But its never been as important as my upcoming Chronicles (multiplayer) game where winning is less of a goal than creatively writing the story of your actions is going to be. After spending most of a day and not getting what I wanted, my usual lazy self kicked in and asked "why dont I automate this"?

I started using AutoHotKey (open source, free) macro software on WinXP. It can record mouse movements which is VERY important since I cant get thru much in Dom3 by keypress alone. AutoHotKey did not like Dom3 in full window mode. I figure that the stretched screens messed up the XY pixel locations. I also discovered that the xy recordings are not specific to the programs window. If I moved the Dom3 window then the recording didnt work.

So it goes like this. Open Dom3 in windowed mode (mine opened pushed up against the upper left corner of my monitor), start the recording, finish the recording, save it, edit it to loop 100 times. Now it should work fine if you have always just opened your dom3 and didnt move it.

By the way, Dom3 limits you to 200 gods. (Yes Johan I can see you cringe). Everytime he picks a number that he thinks no sane person would ever need higher, I come along.

I can make rename newlords directory (in the savedgames directory of Dom3) and make a new newlords directory then make another 200 gods. Then I batch send them to my linux server so I can run CatGod on them and grep (grab all) that have some of the titles I want so I can see wht other titles it got. I want King of the Crossroads which works well for the storyline and something like The Hidden One is fine also but for my character "Eater of Babies" just wont do.

Of course, these tips also work for creating a macro for anything in Dominions. You can assign the macro to a keypress and invent your own "commands".

Gandalf Parker
--
To some people, unlimited options seems to them to be zero options.
Without a menu of choices, they are lost.

[Aezeal]

I'm sure this is usefull in a way but I don't understand what you do or why you do it. YOu keep making the SAME god over and over again just to get different titles.. or do you make god with different paths etc?

And then you go through all of them jsut figure our which one has what title? And then you make a special program for this?

--> you should get another hobby I'd say.. I advice fencing.

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by Aezeal

I'm sure this is usefull in a way but I don't understand what you do or why you do it. YOu keep making the SAME god over and over again just to get different titles.. or do you make god with different paths etc?

I've remade several of my pretenders by hand until I got the titles I wanted to. It'd be especially important for an AAR-type game. As that's what Gandalf was speaking about, it's perfectly understandable that you'd like to make the tedious process as accessable as possible, because it will still be tedious.

[MaxWilson]

Gandalf, you're awesome. I really look forward to reading AARs from this game you're talking about.

[Gandalf Parker]

@Aezeal:
Well Ive always been more of an RPGer Soloer than an MPer. The time that others put into the winning aspects of their gods, I put into the role playing aspects. But you would have to understand the Chronical game that is coming up. The AAR is the main purpose of the game. Therefore the titles IMHO are at LEAST as important as the scales and magic on your god. People are going to be forced to play their titles.

I figured it was more of a Solo player thing (put this way) than an MPer thing so I put it here instead of the mp forum. Tho Im sure that some crafty people can come up with other times that macroing Dom3 would be helpful. Im fairly sure it can be used to bring up the F1 screen and set all of the defence in all your profits to a set number if they are 0.

[Gandalf Parker]

Heehee. After making a bunch of these manually Im really getting a kick out of sitting back in the chair and watching the mouse whip thru it almost faster than I can watch. Then it pauses on the name (just in case Im happy enough with that one to quit) then whips out another to show me.

[AreaOfEffect]

I've occasionally remade my god until I got titles that pleased me. These pretenders are always for MP games. My thought is that I will likely be stuck with this god for several months. The several extra minutes spent on god creation is worth it to me.

Either its for an increased coolness factor or I want a title that doesn't reveal my magic paths from the start of the game.

[vfb]

I do the same, usually it just takes about 10 tries until I get a set of titles I like.

[Makinus]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

I also discovered that the xy recordings are not specific to the programs window. If I moved the Dom3 window then the recording didnt work.

That is true, but there is a command (CoordMode)in Autohotkey that changes this behavior so the xy coordinates are window specific.

Just put at the beggining of you script the following line:

CoordMode, Mouse, Relative

Then the xy coordinates will be relative to the window and then it will not matter where the dom3 windows shows up.

[Aezeal]

hmm I like roleplaying too.. though I play dominions not when as a RPG mostly (though in MP I like in character posts etc etc.) But going through all that effort just for titles.. I'd just imagine them there.. especially in SP .