EraWML - Revision history

Soliton: /* Defining Factions */

2026-03-02T14:55:08Z

‎Defining Factions

Laela: auto_sort

2025-06-21T08:02:59Z

auto_sort

Laela: /* Defining Factions */ https://wiki.wesnoth.org/index.php?title=EraWML&diff=prev&oldid=69166

2023-07-01T14:20:08Z

‎Defining Factions: https://wiki.wesnoth.org/index.php?title=EraWML&diff=prev&oldid=69166

Celtic Minstrel: Separate [multiplayer_side] into a separate section; remove flag_rgb, recruit, extra_recruit which are actually part of [side]

2023-03-28T03:32:53Z

Separate [multiplayer_side] into a separate section; remove flag_rgb, recruit, extra_recruit which are actually part of [side]

Celtic Minstrel: addon -> addon module

2023-03-26T17:49:30Z

addon -> addon module

Celtic Minstrel: Delete common tags documented in AddonsWML

2023-03-26T17:40:27Z

Delete common tags documented in AddonsWML

Celtic Minstrel: /* The [era] top level tag */ The documentation for [ai] was misleading

2023-02-18T17:04:02Z

‎The [era] top level tag: The documentation for [ai] was misleading

Atreides: /* The [era] top level tag */

2023-01-02T02:50:18Z

‎The [era] top level tag

Celtic Minstrel: Delete an obsolete reference to DescriptionWML

2022-01-16T17:19:51Z

Delete an obsolete reference to DescriptionWML

Jarom: /* The [era] top level tag */

2021-11-14T19:43:52Z

‎The [era] top level tag

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 * '''except''': Empty by default. If the faction has random_faction=yes, it is the list of the IDs of the non random factions that will not be choosen randomly.
 * '''type''': the unit type of the default leader for the side. This must be present. 'random' is a valid value here and will cause a random leader choice by default. As of 1.16.2 at least this key has no effect and is not required to be present.
-* '''terrain_liked''': an unseparated list of terrains (see [[TerrainCodesWML]]). On random maps, these terrains will determine which keep the side is assigned, attempting to put it near the listed terrains.
+* '''terrain_liked''': a comma separated list of terrains (see [[TerrainCodesWML]]). On random maps, these terrains will determine which keep the side is assigned, attempting to put it near the listed terrains.
 * '''description''': a short description of the faction, displayed in the help browser.
 * '''auto_sort''': {{DevFeature1.19|13}} default 'yes'. If 'no', factions will be displayed in the order written in WML instead of sorted by name. In older versions there are workarounds like https://github.com/wesnoth/wesnoth/issues/3177.

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 * '''id''': faction ID - must be unique to your era. No gameplay effect
-* '''name''': a description that Wesnoth displays as the option selecting that faction. This key is used for sorting factions in era. For manual sorting see https://github.com/wesnoth/wesnoth/issues/3177.
+* '''name''': a description that Wesnoth displays as the option selecting that faction. This key is used for sorting factions in era.
 * '''image''': an image to display in the option. This image will use the team color.
 * '''leader''': a list of unit types. Must be present. When this faction is chosen, the side can choose any of these unit types to be the side's leader (i.e. "Choose your Leader"). They will also have the option of having one of these types being chosen randomly.
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 * '''terrain_liked''': an unseparated list of terrains (see [[TerrainCodesWML]]). On random maps, these terrains will determine which keep the side is assigned, attempting to put it near the listed terrains.
 * '''description''': a short description of the faction, displayed in the help browser.
 == See Also ==

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 * '''id''': faction ID - must be unique to your era. No gameplay effect
-* '''name''': a description that Wesnoth displays as the option selecting that faction.
+* '''name''': a description that Wesnoth displays as the option selecting that faction. This key is used for sorting factions in era. For manual sorting see https://github.com/wesnoth/wesnoth/issues/3177.
 * '''image''': an image to display in the option. This image will use the team color.
 * '''leader''': a list of unit types. Must be present. When this faction is chosen, the side can choose any of these unit types to be the side's leader (i.e. "Choose your Leader"). They will also have the option of having one of these types being chosen randomly.

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 * '''force_modification''': a list of modification ids. The specified modifications must be enabled to play this era.
 * '''hide_help''': {{DevFeature1.13|0}} whether this era should show up in the help browser or not. Default no.
-* '''[multiplayer_side]''': a faction in the era. This tag contains many of the same keys as a [side] tag (A description of the [side] tag can be found in [[SideWML]]). When a multiplayer game is played, then the [side] tag for the scenario is merged with the keys(currently, not tags) of the [multiplayer_side] tag of the faction which the side chose.
-** '''id''': faction ID - must be unique to your era. No gameplay effect
+== Defining Factions ==
-** '''name''': a description that Wesnoth displays as the option selecting that faction.
-** '''image''': an image to display in the option. This image will use the team color.
+Each faction in the era is defined by a '''[multiplayer_side]''' tag. This tag contains most of the same keys as a [side] tag (see [[SideWML]]). When a multiplayer game is played, then the [side] tag for the scenario is merged with the keys (currently, not tags) of the '''[multiplayer_side]''' tag of the faction which the side chose.
-** '''flag_rgb''': often set by [http://www.wesnoth.org/macro-reference.xhtml#MAGENTA_IS_THE_TEAM_COLOR MAGENTA_IS_THE_TEAM_COLOR]
-** '''leader''': a list of unit types. Must be present. When this faction is chosen, the side can choose any of these unit types to be the side's leader (i.e. "Choose your Leader"). They will also have the option of having one of these types being chosen randomly.
+Each faction needs to specify its recruit list with the '''recruit''' key, which is described in [[SideWML]].
-** '''random_leader''': if this list of types is present, it would use this list to instead to choose a random leader. If not it would use '''leader'''
-** '''random_faction''': default 'no'. If 'yes', then when this faction is chosen, another non random faction will be randomly chosen instead. The leader will also be chosen randomly. All random_faction=yes factions are sorted before other factions.
+The following additional keys are unique to '''[multiplayer_side]''':
-** '''choices''': Empty by default. If non-empty and the faction has '''random_faction=yes''', it is the list of the IDs of the non random factions that will be choosen randomly. If empty, any faction can be chosen.
-** '''except''': Empty by default. If the faction has random_faction=yes, it is the list of the IDs of the non random factions that will not be choosen randomly.
+* '''id''': faction ID - must be unique to your era. No gameplay effect
-** '''type''': the unit type of the default leader for the side. This must be present. 'random' is a valid value here and will cause a random leader choice by default. As of 1.16.2 at least this key has no effect and is not required to be present.
+* '''name''': a description that Wesnoth displays as the option selecting that faction.
-** '''recruit''': a comma-separated list of unit types this faction can recruit.
+* '''image''': an image to display in the option. This image will use the team color.
-** '''extra_recruit''': a comma-separated list of unit types appended to the leader recruitlist (see [[SingleUnitWML]]).
+* '''leader''': a list of unit types. Must be present. When this faction is chosen, the side can choose any of these unit types to be the side's leader (i.e. "Choose your Leader"). They will also have the option of having one of these types being chosen randomly.
-** '''terrain_liked''': an unseparated list of terrains (see [[TerrainCodesWML]]). On random maps, these terrains will determine which keep the side is assigned, attempting to put it near the listed terrains.
+* '''random_leader''': if this list of types is present, it would use this list to instead to choose a random leader. If not it would use '''leader'''
-** '''description''': a short description of the faction, displayed in the help browser.
+* '''random_faction''': default 'no'. If 'yes', then when this faction is chosen, another non random faction will be randomly chosen instead. The leader will also be chosen randomly. All random_faction=yes factions are sorted before other factions.
 == See Also ==

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 == The [era] top level tag ==
-This [[AddonsWML|addon]] tag describes one era. An era is a set of teams to play in multiplayer.
+This [[AddonsWML|addon module]] tag describes one era. An era is a set of teams to play in multiplayer.
 In the multiplayer game creation screen, an era is chosen by the host by the 'Era' option button.
-The following key/tags are recognized for '''[era]''', in addition to the common [[AddonsWML|addon keys and tags]]:
+The following key/tags are recognized for '''[era]''', in addition to the common [[AddonsWML|addon module keys and tags]]:
 * <span id="require_era">'''require_era'''</span>: whether clients are required to have this era installed beforehand to be allowed join a game using this era. Possible values 'yes' (the default) and 'no'.
 * '''allow_scenario''': a list of scenario ids. Only the scenarios with matching ids will be allowed to be played with this era.

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 * '''[lua]''': any [lua] children written inside the [era] tag will get included into scenarios that are played using this era.
 * '''[options]''': custom options. See [[OptionWML]] for details.
-* '''[ai]''': See [[AiWML]] for details.
+* '''[ai]''': Defines an AI algorithm that can be selected by players at the join game screen. See [[Wesnoth_AI_Framework#The_.5Bai.5D_Tag_.E2.80.94_Top-level_Elements|here]] for details. Note that if you want to add fixed AI parameters for specific factions, you should instead put the '''[ai]''' tag in the '''[multiplayer_side]'''.
 * '''[modify_unit_type]''': {{DevFeature1.15|2}} Applies minor modifications to existing unit types when this era is active. See entry in [[ModificationWML]] for list of possible attributes.