Excel tool for block-time calculation

[Settler_Daniel]

Choose the combat preview in the garrison of the block general and click the corresponding camp.

If there is the framed text at the bottom, the general is cached. If this is cause a camp, which is not blocked, you have to destroy it first.
If the general would catch from the other block-camp, you have to choose in the drop down "would catch from block x". If it isn't choose "would not catch"

[Settler_Daniel]

(varies depending on the information required)

border-parts

Spoiler

1. information-thread and newest Version :
   
   This button is conducting to this thread. Use it frequently, to have always the current version. (An update does not mean, that the saved results are deleted.)
   
   
2. CheckBox "play Sounds":
   
   Who don't like the sounds, can deactivate them here.
   To deactivate the sounds, makes the tool faster.
   
   
3. Safety distance (in flags):
   
   The attacking general should always have a safety distance to the area of influence from the block-camp. How high the safety distance is, you can give here.
   Possible are numbers between 1 and 9.
   
   
4. back-button :
   
   If you have chosen a wrong block-type, you can go back here.
   
   
5. calculate block:
   
   If you have fill out every field, you only have to click this button. If you have forgotten an input, you get a message box, which gives information about the missing inputs.

attack

Spoiler

1. flags up to area of reach:
   
   Click the garrison, which is going to attack the leader camp and choose attack or combat preview.
   Zoom as wide out as you can see the garrison and the leader camp at the same moment. Move your mouse over the leader camp. Now, count the flags from the garrison to the area of reach from the corresponding block-camp. Insert your result now in the input box.
   
   
2. total flags :
   
   Count the flags from your attack-garrison to the leader camp (see flags up to area of reach but count to the leader camp and not to a area of reach).
   
   
3. kind of camp:
   
   Here you have to choose the kind of camp, which you're going to attack. The several kinds have difference in the graphic. Here a list with possible leader camps and there graphic. (Click the pictures to make them bigger)
   

   • Bandit Leader Camp:
   
   • White castle:
   
   • Witch tower:
   
   • Bone church:
   
   • Dark castle:
   

4. general:
   
   Here you can choose, if a slow or fast general attacks. Slow generals you've buy in the tavern, fast general you can buy at the shop. A slow general is looking like the followring, the others are fast generals.
   
   
   
5. maximum rounds:
   
   The attack you've to calculate before. You can use for example the Settlersimulator or the settler online tools simulator.
   If you use the Settlersimulator, click the simulation battle button as often as there is written 2200 simulations. At the settler online tools simulator you should give at the right 10.000 repetitions or more. With the settler online tools simulator you get a more exact result, but the Settlersimulator is for people, who don't want to write a tactical map exact enough.
   At the Settlersimulator you use the number, which you can see behind maximal loss in brackets, at the settler online tools simulator you can see the rounds above the table with the losses
6. surviving cannoneers
   
   If you have already cannoneers, you should take at least one in the attack-garrison (the cannoneers have to survive). At the block-garrisons don't take cannoneers!!!

block

Spoiler

1. flags up to area of reach from block x:
   
   If that isn't show, the input isn't required.
   Choose the garrison for the 1st or 2nd block. (Which from both, you can see in the big headline: )
   Click this garrison and choose attack or combat preview.
   Zoom as wide out as you can see the garrison and the leader camp at the same moment. Move your mouse over the camp, which this general blocks. Now, count the flags from the garrison to the area of reach from the other block camp. Insert your result now in the input box.
   
   
2. kind of camp:
   
   Here you have to choose the kind of camp, which you're going to block. The several kinds have difference in the graphic. Here a list with possible block camps and there graphic. (Click the pictures to make them bigger)
   

   
   • Bandit Camp:
   
   • Watchtower:
   
   • Reinforced Watchtower:
   
   • Stone tower:
   

[Settler_Daniel]

Click your block-general and choose attack or combat preview. Zoom as wide out as you can see the garrison and the leader camp at the same moment and move your mouse towards the block-camp. Now, count the flags. If you've at the example of 19 flags a distance of 19 flags, everything is good. If it isn't you have to transfer your garrisons. (If you've more than 19, you have to transfer the garrisons, too. If you want to have a higher safety distance, you can change it in the input box at the top left side.)
If we have for example a distance of 15, we transfer the garrison 4 flags backwards. Now we count again, because it could be, that the general have another route than we thought.
Alternative we can transfer the attack-garrison forwards. If the transferring don't work, we can wait up to the attack general has walk 4 flags and then we can start the other general.
It could be, that the flag-inputs we've done are wrong, because of the transferring of the generals. To change the inputs, we click "back" at the bottom left.

[Settler_Daniel]

The results belong always to the tab on the bottom, which is chosen (at the picture e.g. the first block). If there aren't tabs, you've calculated a simple block and at a simple block there is only one block.


The description from the 1st part of the result ("Your general of block have to have a distance of x flags") you can find at [ResultBoxFlags].

"Your general of block have to fight at least x Rounds. The first defeat may occur at earliest in Round y."
Now, we have to find a simulation, which is complying with the result. Now, we try that with an example.

Your general of block has to fight at least 5 Rounds. The first defeat may occur at earliest in Round 7.

Description with using the Settlersimulator (recommended for average consumer)

Spoiler

For us there are only the lines in they picture above relevant. The simulations should be at 2.200. If it is, click at the framed area. You will see a picture like that:

Below the bars, you can see the numbers of rounds. Here it begins with 5 and ends with 13. The block-time-calculator has said us that the general have to fight at least 5 rounds. That's true, because the bar chat begins with 5. More is always better, so it would be better, if the minimum rounds were 6 or even more, but 5 rounds are enough.
The block time calculator has said us that the first defeat may occur at earliest after 7 rounds. At the bottom are the numbers of rounds. Above them are bars. Above the bars are numbers.
The blue bar refers to the victories, which were of all simulations in that round. The number above is the exact number of simulations.
The red bar is referring to the defeats.

At round 5, there isn't any bar, but there are the numbers 0 and 1. 0 is at the left side, where is normally the blue bar and the 1 is on the right side, where is normally the red bar. That means that already in round 5 one simulation was a defeat. But the first defeat has to come at earliest in round 7.
So, we have to simulate different. To rise up the win probably we take more units.


A few simulations later, we have the result above. As you can see, the minimum rounds are also 5. At round 5 and 6 we have 0 defeats. First in round 7 there were 3 defeats. The block-time-calculator has said as well, that the first defeat may occur at earliest in round 7. This condition is true, now as well. This simulation is good and we can take the units.

Description with using the settler online tools simulator (recommended for tactical map writer)

Spoiler

At first we should take a high repetition. Minimum is 10.000 I recommend 99,999 (maximum input)


Now, we have to scroll at the button. Under the table, we click "rounds"



The numbers at the bottom are the rounds. It begins at round 5 and it ends at round 13. So, the attack is taking minimum 5 rounds. The block-time-calculator has said us that the general have to fight at least 5 rounds. That's true, because the bar chat begins with 5. More is always better, so it would be better, if the minimum rounds were 6 or even more, but 5 rounds are enough.
For use, only the red graph is relevant, because it shows the defeats of the rounds. If we move the mouse above it, we see the exact number of defeats of the round below. We begin with round 5.


At the defeat-tooltip the first number is a 5. That means only, that this is round 5. Below the 5 is a 14. That means that 14 of 99,999 simulations didn't come over round 5! But we want to come to round 7!
So, we have to simulate different. To rise up the win probably we take more units.


A few simulations later, we have the graphic above. As you can see, the red graph is everywhere at the bottom. To go sure, we look at the tooltips.


At the tooltip from round 5 and 6, there is a 0. At round 7 we have 3 defeats. So, we're finish!

[Settler_Daniel]

Hello, everyone!
Version 2.0 is finished

• New user interface
  • Design is based on game design
  • Beginners are able to pile in to the material cause helpful tooltips and help-buttons
  • Only fields are visible, which you have to fill out.
  • The language is adjust automatically cause your language of system. (Only GB and DE)
  • Sounds are added
• Changes at calculation
  • It isn't calculated anymore with win probability.
  • The needed number of rounds from the locks is calculated instead of the time.
  • So, you don't give number of rounds for blocks.
  • The round, where at earliest may occur a defeat is calculated, that's why the win probability isn't needed anymore.
  • There're 2 inputs for flags, now (up to area of reach and total)

    → The distance from the block-general to his camp is calculated

• Other changes
  • It's possible to save results
  • Updates will exists in a patch-version, what means that after an update saved results are still saved.
  • The open-office version won’t exists for a moment. OO has another programming language, so I've to program the tool newly for OO. At first I leave the Microsoft-Version mature.
    Old versions of Excel are supported, the download is as *.xlsm (2007 and higher) and as *.xls (97-2003) available.

Download Instructions

[Fexno]

Hi Settler_Daniel,

Your posts have been hidden till they can be approved by bb.
I would kindly ask you to send a private message to BB_alpaca and ask for permission of posting these links.

[ Thread closed ]

Thanks,
Fexno

[Fexno]

These links have now been approved.

Please note that this only means they can be posted on the forum. Blocking is done on your own risk and not a supported feature

[ Thread reopened ]

Cheers,
Fexno

[Settler_Daniel]

Hello everyone,

Of course, I'm continuing develop the tool. At moment I haven't much time for tso… So the following preview can take a while for an official update.

New Window "Settings"
The Design of this window isn't final; it's just a first preview

Instead of the "play Sounds"- check box, there will be a button for Settings.
There will be new options like show tooltips / mouse over. You will be able to decide, what happen if you press the "X" at top right. If you've chosen the second option, you will have a message box, where you can decide how to be continued (for every window there will be several options).

News for saving

• name
  Until now, there is a max length of 10 for a block-name. This will be increase to 30. A too long name will be shorten by the tool. The whole name, you'll see in a tooltip at the list of saved results.
  
• delete-feature
  There will be a possibility to delete saved results. Therefore you'll have a little cross at the right side for every save

The OpenOffice version won't be finished next time

Please give me some Feedback!

Greetings
Settler_Daniel

[Cheetahke]

@ Settler_Daniel,

If you need help for making this tool for 64-bit version, just let me know

Greetings

Cheetahke

[nemothechemo]

really like your work.