Max mod nation description length?

Stavis_L · #1 September 30th, 2009, 12:34 PM

Does anyone know if there's a maximum length for the #descr command for nation modding, and if so, what that limit is?

My description keeps getting chopped off, and I'm not sure if it's due to bad formatting or exceeding a length limit; I know I'm well short of various vanilla nation description lengths, and it's not breaking at a "usual" length like 1024 chars or anything (not in front of the game at the moment, but it's something like 650 chars where it's cutting off for me presently.)

Also, the mod manual describes the syntax as

HTML Code:

#descr "<nation name>"

, but I assume the correct syntax is just

HTML Code:

#descr "<description text>"

as it seems to not like the 2nd argument.

...and, as long as I'm here, anyone aware of character limits for the other modding name/brief/descr(ription)/summary commands?

Burnsaber · #2 September 30th, 2009, 01:43 PM

Do you have a quote of some sort in the description text, perhaps closed with (") signs? I've had that happen to me many times.

Stavis_L · #3 September 30th, 2009, 04:55 PM

No, no stray double-quotes. I'm using a programming font to make sure things like that stand out (but I verified with a character search.) There is a single-quote in the text, but it's not aligned with the break.

lch · #4 October 3rd, 2009, 05:47 AM

Here are the limits for nation modding:

#name: 36 characters
#epithet: 36 characters
#flag: 2500 characters (for the filename)
#descr: 2500 characters
#summary: 500 characters
#brief: 500 characters

These limits are from the parser, per-nation. There might also be a global limit to the descriptions as well, I think I ran into that myself when preparing combined mods for my mod nation games.

Burnsaber · #5 October 3rd, 2009, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lch

These limits are from the parser, per-nation. There might also be a global limit to the descriptions as well, I think I ran into that myself when preparing combined mods for my mod nation games.

Nein! Nooo! Eiii! Inte!

First I learn that there's a limit on added spells and I had to scrap all sorts of cool ideas for the CPCS. Now max lenght descriptions (I hit the character limit often) can limit mod compactibility! Ugh. I'll have to learn to write more to the point I guess.

Tomorrow I'll learn that there is a limit on mod-image pixels and I'll have to make all my sprites 50% smaller.

Foodstamp · #6 October 3rd, 2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lch

Here are the limits for nation modding:

#name: 36 characters
#epithet: 36 characters
#flag: 2500 characters (for the filename)
#descr: 2500 characters
#summary: 500 characters
#brief: 500 characters

These limits are from the parser, per-nation. There might also be a global limit to the descriptions as well, I think I ran into that myself when preparing combined mods for my mod nation games.

I play with a TON of mod nations enabled at the same time and I have not noticed a global limit. It may be possible I have not hit the cap yet and if that is the case, it must be VERY high.

lch · #7 October 3rd, 2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foodstamp

I play with a TON of mod nations enabled at the same time and I have not noticed a global limit. It may be possible I have not hit the cap yet and if that is the case, it must be VERY high.

The game doesn't crash in that case, it just doesn't include the nation descriptions anymore. If I recall correctly then first all the new unit and then spell descriptions are added, and then the nation descriptions. When preparing one all-mod-nations megagame I ran into each of these limitations, which required me to shorten some of the description texts. I'd have to look through old IRC logs to be able to tell specifics. It was a couple of patches ago, too, though, so the situation might be better now.

Burnsaber, there are limitations to everything, everywhere.

Foodstamp · #8 October 3rd, 2009, 05:30 PM

Well that makes me sad in the pants. I imagine by the time I retire, I will have every nation spot loaded with mod nations

. I can do without descriptions I guess

Stavis_L · #9 October 7th, 2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lch

Here are the limits for nation modding:

#name: 36 characters
#epithet: 36 characters
#flag: 2500 characters (for the filename)
#descr: 2500 characters
#summary: 500 characters
#brief: 500 characters

These limits are from the parser, per-nation. There might also be a global limit to the descriptions as well, I think I ran into that myself when preparing combined mods for my mod nation games.

Hrm...well, I replaced my text with a block of lorem ipsum, and it seems that #descr (for nations) is actually limited to only 999 characters. However, some of the vanilla nations (e.g. LA Caelum) clearly exceed this, so perhaps you found the size of the in-game buffer, and something else is trimming the input to a smaller length prior to display?

I've only got my one mod that I'm working on installed, so it's presumably not a global limit being exceeded.

Perhaps I should report this as a bug?

lch · #10 October 8th, 2009, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stavis_L

Hrm...well, I replaced my text with a block of lorem ipsum, and it seems that #descr (for nations) is actually limited to only 999 characters.

JK has a habit of limiting things at the value 999 (ex.: spell slots, damage), so it may very well be that input strings are limited by that amount.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stavis_L

However, some of the vanilla nations (e.g. LA Caelum) clearly exceed this, so perhaps you found the size of the in-game buffer, and something else is trimming the input to a smaller length prior to display?

As I said, I looked at the parser, but maybe the input from mods is indeed limited artificially by a greater amount than what the ingame limits are, yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stavis_L

Perhaps I should report this as a bug?

It's not a bug, you just found out the real limit. There will always be a limit, anyway.