Modding Pioneers

I'm working on a mod that does almost exactly what you want, and I intend to release it just as soon as patch 1.1 goes live.

How the mod works:

Pioneers require a resource called "Settlers".

This resource is acquired two different ways.

1. You receive "settlers" when you level up a city. (enough for one pioneer per level of the city)

2. You receive "settlers" by reaching certain fame milestones. (enough for one pioneer per fame milestone)

What is left to do on the mod:

1. Finish adjusting the fame milestones for settlers

2. Double check and correct an issue where the resources given and used are doubled when the mod is installed exclusively to the mod folder (I think this issue has more to do with me fiddling with the core files rather than an issue with the mod.)

3. Adjust the size of the settler resource graphic. I'm using the settler wagon from Master of Magic, and it is a tad too small.

Very intriguing jshores... I'm curious to see how that tightens up game-play, and how the AI will handle it.

So far in my testing, the AI handles it fine. Meaning, when it hits those milestones or levels a city, it immediately builds a pioneer like it normally would.

Of course, the AI wouldn't understand it needs to do those things to get the pioneers, but fortunately the AI is already predisposed to try to reach those goals.

Yes, one fatal flaw that may occur is that the 1 settler you build from a level 1 city, I build an outpost... I can't get more settlers can I?

Or are you going to remove the outpost ability from the Pioneers altogether and create a separate unit called engineer (that the AI will not know how to use) to make outposts?

You could just make it a non stored resource instead of stored so that they can build only one at a time instead of just once per level.  I foresee the same problem listed from Parrotmath otherwise.  Having it as a non stored resource you could vastly reduce the amount of pioneers to only 1 per level 1 city and then only have towns supply more than one of the stored resource.  Interestingly enough you could actually force the AI to only build units within a fortress using this same method of non stored resources by making all units require a non stored resource that Fortress City Hubs only make.

I don't think it is possible to make the AI use a different unit to build outposts. You can make it so that other units can make outposts but I don't think you can make the AI use those units to make outposts. I remember trying something back in FE (when it was in beta) where I wanted scouts to be used to make outposts and settlers only make cities but it didn't work. 

Well It would be great if you could have limited pioneers and maybe a different type of unit to settle outposts, would be really nice. But its a shame like you said that the AI wouldnt use them

So let me see if i understood it right:

- if i want to mod so pioneers can only be produced by level 2 cities i need to create a specific resource that is only produced the lvl 2 cities - let me borrow jshores name and call this resource "Settlers".

- to do what i want "Settlers" should be needed for Pioneers, be local and not global, and not storable - all this i think i can manage by gleaning from other mods (some help would be fine too) - my main doubt is how i make so only lvl 2 and above cities produce this resource - can anyone point it to me (file i need to mod and how)?

Thanks.

I haven't noticed that in my implementation. They get settlers at level 3, 4 and 5 as well, also through gaining fame from questing (15 fame, 50 fame, etc). 

If you are fixed on only allowing a pioneer at level 2, you will have to find a way to circumvent the issue that Parrot is talking about.