Phew!! Finally completed the animation file for Perry Class Frigate as requested by dannyevilcat just in time for New Year! :D. As usual, you need to use either the hacked Civ3Edit or Gramphos' Civ3CopyTool to create a new unit call Modern Frigate. If you uses the hacked Civ3Edit then do remember to create a folder under Civilization III\Art\units named Modern Frigate (Civ3CopyTool will automatically create the folder for you).

Just unzip the file and copy everything except the two pcx files to this new directory. The two pcx files are Civilopedia icons and they should go to Civilization III\Art\Civilopedia\Icons\units.

No file is being replaced here so you should be safe to install this new unit even if this is your first time ;)

The files in the zip are as follow:

PerryDefault.flc
PerryRun.flc
PerryAttackA.flc
PerryDeath.flc
Modern Frigate.INI
ModernFrigatelarge.pcx
ModernFrigatesmall.pcx

Once more, kindly give some feedback on this animation, be it good or bad :D

And Happ New Year to all Civers around the world !!
[party] :beer:

Here is the icons for units_32.pcx file. Just copy and paste them into the units_32.pcx file. I have also included the icons for Terrorist and Crossbowman as none was made earlier :D

For those who are wondering, here is how the unit looks like in the game.

The Frigate is lineup next to a Destroyer and a Battleship for comparison purposes. ;)

Awesome!
Downloading it and adding to my mod, hope I dont have to start a new game to use the new unit :)

Thanks Dark Sheer! Checked it out and it looks great, you did an excellent job! :goodjob:

I predict that in the new year you'll be so busy with future requests you'll just forget about the little people (like me :) ), but if I ever have another idea, you'll be the first person I'll be looking for.

An illustrated story of what I'll be like tonight:
[party] :beer: :smoke: 3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! [party] :vomit: :sleep:


Hey, I'd been wondering (but I didn't want to remind you until now, in case you you switched projects ;) ), but weren't you going to work on the Japanese Zero? How is that project going?
Anyway, thanks again!

Well, after seeing how well Haverlock is doing on those WWII units, I think I will let him handle WWII units ;)

Now, what I am thinking of next is a camel rider for those who like middle eastern Civs :D The only thing I need now is a few good picture showing a running camel :) And the more I use Animation Shop the more I like the functions in it :D

If I may make a request, and a sugestion:

Dont waste time on a Zero fighter plane yet, there's allready a fighter in Civ3, and there are many units that should be but arent :) Ok, so the Americans have a different Jet Fighter, what I did, was rename the F15 to Strike Fighter and make it available to everyone (I also tweaked the costs and bombard values...), then made the Panzer also available to the Americans and renamed it to Heavy Tank. Also changed Zulus to Spanish and gave them the Man-O-War like the English. No reason why we cant have some civs share unique units :)

In my opinion, here are some units that should be in civ3:

Medieval Swordsman
Dragoon
Jet Bomber

And there are many others that would be nice, like your recent jobs. A WW2 era Carrier, a Steam Ship (transport), a WW1 era Fighter, the F22 Stealth Fighter, Partisans, Commandos/Spec. Ops, another Rifleman unit to act as a defensive/militia unit while the standard Rifleman is changed to attack (we have the French Musketeer in oposition to the Musketman), a transport truck (not the APC :) )...

Thanks, and keep up the good work, we all apreciate it, there are not many people around capable of making animated units.

I like these ideas!!:love:

Maybe I will work on a middle ages swordsman next ;)

I believe I already have some idea how this unit going to look like. But the next flc will take a little longer as I am back to work on the 2nd and January is a killer month for Accounting Firms (Ah, yes, I am a CPA :D)

I'm working on a few sceneraios/mods, one of which could greatly benefit from biplanes and zeppelins -- for the latter, helium (pretty much only found in the ground for the US) would allow construction of higher survivability (less flammable!) airships.

Happy/Merry Solstice/Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza/New Year!

Best,

Ozymandias

I don't know how to add a new unit to the game using Gramphos' copy tool. What Bic file do i select when i want to make a new unit? Or do i modify a saved game?:confused:

Originally posted by MummyMan
I don't know how to add a new unit to the game using Gramphos' copy tool. What Bic file do i select when i want to make a new unit? Or do i modify a saved game?:confused:

First, make a backup copy of your Civ3mod.bic and name it say, MyCiv3mod.bic. Then, use Civ3CopyTool and load MyCiv3mod.bic and select add a unit. You can select any unit as a base to add the new unit (you need to use Civ3Edit to change all the necessary stats later anyway ;) )

This way you can still play the standard rules. When you want to play a modified one, just select Load Scenario at the start menu and load MyCiv3mod.bic :D

Your Modern Frigate is a big sucess and i added it to my ultimod pack. It looks so good in the water. Thanks. Keep the great animations coming up.

What's your secret?

If it isn't too much could you tell me if it's possible to change the colour of the units already in the game to another colour. Like I wanted to change the paratroopers suit from white to black, anyone noe how to do dat?

Originally posted by MazterJo
Your Modern Frigate is a big sucess and i added it to my ultimod pack. It looks so good in the water. Thanks. Keep the great animations coming up.

What's your secret?

If it isn't too much could you tell me if it's possible to change the colour of the units already in the game to another colour. Like I wanted to change the paratroopers suit from white to black, anyone noe how to do dat?

I am glad that so many people like the Modern Frigate :cool: Close to 100 downloads in just one day! :D

Actually there is no secret to it, just many hours staring at the computer screen with Animation Shop :lol: Perhaps I will make a simple tutorial on making animation ;)

As to changing of color, its all in the palette. So when you edit the paratrooper's flc in say Paintshop Pro, load the .PAL file created by Flicster then edit it. Look for the white color in the palette and just change it. But becareful, because the same white color might be use in other part of the flc (say gun fire). :D

For help people to know your work and help you to promote your unit i post you this.

Originally posted by dsaindon
For help people to know your work and help you to promote your unit i post you this.

Thanks for the animated gif, dsaidon ;)

One thing I don't understand, there is no rating for this animation ??:confused:

Thanks Dark Sheer... I'm going straight to work... Well i would certainly rate it if i knew how to...


Sumone Give This Dude A Star... N Make Em Five...:goodjob:

Look at bottom/right it is wrote 'Rate This Thread:'

Originally posted by MazterJo
Thanks Dark Sheer... I'm going straight to work... Well i would certainly rate it if i knew how to...


Sumone Give This Dude A Star... N Make Em Five...:goodjob:

Dark Sheer, I'd just like to let you know i'm using your animation in my coming modpack and would like to thank you for all your hard work. Cheers to Darksheer!

Originally posted by Scipio Africanu
Dark Sheer, I'd just like to let you know i'm using your animation in my coming modpack and would like to thank you for all your hard work. Cheers to Darksheer!

You are welcomed to use the animation Scipio :D

Some small tweeks, the Oliver H Perry class has a missle launcher in the front vice a canon. The Canon is located between the smoke stack and the main mast. Other than that, its looks just like a real one. I spent 4 years on the USS McClusky (FFG-41). And am happy to see one finnaly in the game itself. Thank you so very much.

Dave Dee :goodjob:

Okay call me stupid, I tried both untilites and can't get it too add it. In the places that you stated the files needed to go they are there, how ever in the edit program I can't get it to add the Modern Frigate, just dupe units that are all ready there. The Civopidia doesn't even show it. What am I doing wrong?

Originally posted by dbrewer842
Some small tweeks, the Oliver H Perry class has a missle launcher in the front vice a canon. The Canon is located between the smoke stack and the main mast. Other than that, its looks just like a real one. I spent 4 years on the USS McClusky (FFG-41). And am happy to see one finnaly in the game itself. Thank you so very much.

Dave Dee :goodjob:

Actually there is a small canon between the smoke stack and the main mast ;) But the ship is so small its very hard to see. If you were to extract the animation and look at the one facing east and west you can see the small canon :D Also, I try to show the shot as shooting a missile rather than a canon as well...hehe Thats why the sound file is taken from Radar Artillery launching missiles rather than the normal canon firing sound :D

Dark Sheer:

I hope you can help me here. Okay I used the modified edit program to add the Modern Frigate to the list. The Files have all been put were your instructions stated they need to be. However the unit show up as a worker, I tried to switch the icon but no luck in finding one of the Modern Frigate. So I checked out the Civopidia, found the Modern Frigate, however it also showed the Icon to be of a worker and at a very low quality graphic of one too. Any idea's of what I need to do to make it work or is this what it looks like and when you run the game it will just pop up normal?

Dave Dee :confused:

Originally posted by dbrewer842
Dark Sheer:

I hope you can help me here. Okay I used the modified edit program to add the Modern Frigate to the list. The Files have all been put were your instructions stated they need to be. However the unit show up as a worker, I tried to switch the icon but no luck in finding one of the Modern Frigate. So I checked out the Civopidia, found the Modern Frigate, however it also showed the Icon to be of a worker and at a very low quality graphic of one too. Any idea's of what I need to do to make it work or is this what it looks like and when you run the game it will just pop up normal?

Dave Dee :confused:

Ok, whenver you copy a unit, its always the settler. You need to name it the Modern Frigate and change the stats accordingly. In order to let it appear as a Modern Frigate , you need to edit the icon file, units_32.pcx. The trick to edit this file is in how Civ3 handle the icons. Civ3 assume that the last 8 icons are always : Leader middleage, leader industrial age, leader modern, army middleage, army industrial age, army modern, settler modern and worker modern. So, whenver you add a new unit, you need to move the last eight icons one step down and insert your new icon in the new space created (by using a program such as paintshop to copy and paste the last 8 icon one step down). After this is done, the icon will appear properly in both city view and production que.

To learn how to add things to your Civilopedia, read Pultrack's thread on this matter under the tutorial section. ;)

First, I'd like to say how absolutely amazed I always am at the type of modifications "amateurs" have added to the Civ series of games (including CtP [no flaming about CtP, please]). The work is outstanding and the effort is greatly appreciated. To you, Dark Sheer, I can only say: outstanding. :goodjob:

I hope I am not too presumptuous, but as long as everyone seems to be making requests, I'd like to add my own. I'm a bit of a military history buff. I like to think of units in Civ as belonging to certain eras of warfare that stand out in history (as opposed to incremental changes). I think Firaxis did a fairly decent job in this, but there seems to be a couple of distinct units missing from the line-up.

I cannot justify going from a Musketman (early 1600s version presented in the game) to a rifleman without the intervening Musket Infantry with bayonett that changed the course of warfare and was around for such a long period of time (from the 1700s to the mid 1800s --over 100 years). I'm simply amazed that such a unit did not make its way into Civ3; it's such a logical progression. The Musketman did spell the end of Knights and is a necessary unit, but the better firing, bayonett musket --along with new tactics to employ them-- made pikemen obsolete and became the attacking and defending unit of choice. The unit I have in mind would either look like the famous British Red Coats or a Napoleonic Warfare soldier (pretty universally equiped and dressed by then).

Another jump I find hard to swallow is the exclusion of the Ship-of-the-Line. A temporary sollution is making the Man-o-War into the Ship-of-the-Line and changing Britain's unique unit to Longbowman. So, this particular oversight is not such a problem.

I also find it difficult to swallow going from an Ironclad to a Destroyer/Battleship. In the late 1800s to early 1900s a VERY important invention was made that changed the making of warships forever (and is still in use today --although a "bit" more modern and efficient). That was the steam turbine engine. Generating so much more power and taking up so much less space than previous steam engines, these engines were responsible for the development of ships like Britain's famous "Dreadnought" class of warships. I am thinking more along the lines of an "Armored Cruiser" that is much more powerful than a ship of the line and ironclad but simply cannot match the absolute power of the "modern" battleship. This would provide a wonderful intervening naval unit so there isn't so much of a jump in technology and power.

Also surprisingly lacking is a B-52 type jet powered heavy bomber. Why did they leave that out? The B-52 can carry IMMENSE amounts of ordnance as compared to WWII bombers. In fact the F-15E "fighter" can carry a larger payload than a WWII B-17 bomber, let alone a B-52 heavy bomber. (I served in the 391st "Bold Tigers" squadron of F-15Es in Mountain Home, ID).

And, lastly, although not absolutely necessary, I think it would be very nice to see a "bombard" type medieval cannon. To go all the way from a catapult to a 1700s type horse artillery seems to be quite a jump and a bit of a stretch.

IMHO, a lot of the other unit suggestions are incremental/interim units or highly specialized units that don't really fit into the scope of the game. Although fun, a lot of these units would hardly get built before the next type of unit is available (e.g. WWI fighter).

So, to sum it up: most important is a Bayonnet Musket Infantry and Armored Cruiser. Of secondary importance would be B-52 type jet-bomber, medieval Bombard Cannon, and a Ship-of-the-Line.

Well, here's for hopin'. :goodjob:

And thanks in advance. :D

I am currently filling the request of GenPatton on a truck and Scipio's request for Scud launcher :)

But I sure love to do those musket infantries. I love those plums on their hats so to say ;)

I feel strongly about the lacking of ancient/middle age ship as well. Even when you get a Frigate it is still hard to sink a Galleon. Since Moeniir just posted his latest version of Flicster, I hope there will be more people interested in making new animation for new units. Once I completed the current request I will most likely work on a Special Op unit (which I have wanted to do for a while now). But all these units are also what I would like to do. No promises on when they can be completed. But if no one do them, I will :D

Originally posted by Dark Sheer
I am currently filling the request of GenPatton on a truck and Scipio's request for Scud launcher :) Understood. ;)

But I sure love to do those musket infantries. I love those plums on their hats so to say ;) Definitely! But I think you meant "plumes". :D

I feel strongly about the lacking of ancient/middle age ship as well. Even when you get a Frigate it is still hard to sink a Galleon. But this is easily remedied by changing the stats of the units, which is what I plan to do. . . not to stop you from making a cool new unit, though. ;)

But all these units are also what I would like to do. No promises on when they can be completed. But if no one do them, I will :D

Thanks, you're the best. :goodjob:

DS,

I must say I love what you have done so far and can't wait to see what comes next.

I am really looking forward to the Spec-Ops unit. Which real life unit are you planning on modeling them after?

I hope to start work on the Crusader unit now that there is a new version of Flicster. The medieval swordsman is also a much needed unit. I agree with all who have mentioned it.

Is the number of additional units we can add unlimited? If so it would be great to eventually have all unique units, or at least culturally unique units. Asian units were so much different than European units. And Native American and African units are also vastly different in design.

To anyone out there:

Is it possible to get Blue Orange's units posted on this board. His work is on Apolyton's forum but I can't seem to download from there. Could be that they are still having problems.

He has what sound like some great units: Power Armor, BattleMech, Amazons ;)

I tried to register there but it is taking a long time to go through.

Thanks

Dark Sheer

I have an idea for a unit, and wanted to ask for your learned opinion.

An army-type unit, for workers. Call it an engineering battalion or whatever. You build it like an army, then load it full of workers. The idea is to lessen the amount of effort it takes to direct stacks of workers around your empire one at a time.

I came up with the idea while tediously cleaning up polution in our german succession game.

Is such a unit even possible?

If not, is there a way to make an "engineer" unit, like Civ2, that works faster?

Would increasing the movement rate of a worker-type unit increase its "work speed" (ie. mining, irrigating etc.)?

Sorry about all the questions. Its mainly just food for thought.;)

Nice frigate, btw. :goodjob:

Great work! :goodjob: Making life easier for all the animationly challenged among us :D

Sounds like Dark Sheer's work load is pilling up, or very well could be. Once I finish my Carrier unit from modifying the Super Carrier (the normal carrier in CivIII is a Super Carrier) I think I'll try and help fill out some of the requests. Just to keep Dark Sheer playing CivIII and not making animations all day which oooo so boring. I don't work as fast as Dark Sheer can, however I think I can make some pretty good units :) I think, which remains to be seen I suppose. So once I finish this bad boy up and release my realism mod (ehem, is this also partially a shameless advertisment? I think so) then I think I will start work on the Medievel swordmen based off the normal Swordsman. I'm probably gonna stab myself in the foot for this later, but spread the joy right?

I hope this can partially repay you Dark Sheer for you helping me with that Scud Launcher. :)

Wow, lots of comments and suggestion :D

First, I am glad to hear that more people is working on new unit animation now. That would make my list shorter and I can play more Civ3 :lol:

Second, increase the movement points for workers does not increase their work rate. No matter how many movement points they have it always finish when you do a terraforming work such as irrigation and still take the same amount of time :(

However, I never try the concept of an army of workers. Maybe that might work ? ;)

Not owrking on any new unit animations yet Dark Sheer. Have to finish my Carrier first which is gonna take a longgggg time if I want it to have the perfection I require :D. But i'll help with some of your requests due to the fact as you'll never get to play CivIII again with all these piled up.

Sorry Joespaniel, but I remember reading something that the Firaxis AI programmer said regarding exactly this idea, and he said the AI wouldn't be able to adapt to a unit like that, not yet anyway.
It's too bad, it would have been a cool unit, and I suppose with multi-player it'd still be okay.

Dark Sheer, told ya you'd be be in demand :) . I was hoping someone would do a SpecOp's unit, glad it turned out to be you Champ.

Where can I got Animation Shop? Can I download it or do I have to buy it?

Originally posted by joost1110
Where can I got Animation Shop? Can I download it or do I have to buy it?

You can download a trial version for 30 days from http://www.jasc.com

However, with the new Flicster by Moeniir (get it from the utility section of the forum) you do not need Animation Shop. All you need is a program than can edit pcx files (such as the paint program from Windows ;) )

Just letting you know, Dark Sheer, that I've used this unit animation as an optional add-on for my LWC mod. It's repacked as the Modern Destroyer (link to the LWC mod in my signature).


One question for you though. Will you be making a .pcx graphic available for use in the units_32.pcx file? If I remember right there was one earlier in the thread but only as a fuzzy little .jpg, which really wouldn't do.


Excellant work on all you've done, btw :goodjob: It's verra nice :)

Originally posted by Plutarck
Just letting you know, Dark Sheer, that I've used this unit animation as an optional add-on for my LWC mod. It's repacked as the Modern Destroyer (link to the LWC mod in my signature).


One question for you though. Will you be making a .pcx graphic available for use in the units_32.pcx file? If I remember right there was one earlier in the thread but only as a fuzzy little .jpg, which really wouldn't do.


Excellant work on all you've done, btw :goodjob: It's verra nice :)

Ah, the master of LWC mod. I actually incorporated alot of your ideas into my own mod :goodjob:

I am attaching a copy of my own units_32.pcx here for you to copy and use some of the icons. It includes all the icons for those units created by me, gunship (flc by BlueO), hind (flc by Haverlock) plus some repeated icons in the game for units which uses back some of the game's flc until I create some flc for them :D

Thanks!

And if you create any more .flc's for units used in the LWC mod I'll include those too. I await your future products :D

Thanks for all the replys to my idea.

Too bad about the engineer unit. I hate pollution.:hammer:

For experimentation sake, I formed an army of marines and found out that it loses its amphibious assault ability in such a formation. So dont waste your time.

Cant wait to see the new units!

here's another look at the frigate. Great work DS!

Dark Sheer, what programe did you use to make those animations? Where can i get it? Thanks Very much for the frigate it is Awsome.

I am a very simple guy. ;)

All I use is Flicster from Moeniir, Animation Shop & Paintshop Pro. Generally, I will use a current unit as a guide for size, select a frame size for my unit, then draw the first frame base on a real photo (this is the hardest part ;) ).

Once the first frame is up and satisfactory, I will proceed to draw 1 frame for each direction (8 direction in all but some are mirror image of the other for ship and vehicles). On doing the animation, I load the original flc from Firaxis and study them. Learn from the real artist from Firaxis and you never go wrong :D

From the original flc you can see how ship move and sway, how wave breaks when the ship moves etc. Learn from these flc and you too can create one that is as close to those as possible ;)

I am in the process of writing a simple tutorial on how to make unit animation but being a lazy person that I am, it will come a little slow. :lol: I am going to break it into a few parts so people only need to read those they want to know.

:king:

Originally posted by Dark Sheer
... being a lazy person that I am, it will come a little slow. ...

Lazy? This from the guy who has created more new units than anyone on the whole site? You are WAY too modest, man :D

Let us know when you get that tutorial done. I'm looking forward to it!

:cool:

sweet little unit!:D

I have an idea for its abilities: give it transport ability 2-3, tag "transport only tactical missiles" and "naval missile transport"(under AI) and flag the unload option.

For the missiles I downloaded the new units popeye,harpoon, and penguin anti-ship. I gave these missiles, plus the original cruise missile, load ability and tagged "tactical missile" under abilities.

Then load the missiles onto the ships after production in the game. You then have a "modern missile frigate". I did the same with the aegis cruiser but gave it a higher transport capacity. After all, the aegis is primarily for carrying and using a powerful missile system. Perry class also carry various missiles. To balance gameplay I gave them low attack/defense values (6/6).

Someone may argue the ships will be used for carrying tactical nukes, but in reality US and Russian ships do carry tactical nukes. There are certain obvious deterrents to using them though.

I downloded some of the units but have yet to be able to add the
I put them in the CIVpidea and art under units make folders for the unit as well as added them to the flcs folder. What have I done wrong or what have I missed. PLZ HELP!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by ClanNosferatu
I downloded some of the units but have yet to be able to add the
I put them in the CIVpidea and art under units make folders for the unit as well as added them to the flcs folder. What have I done wrong or what have I missed. PLZ HELP!!!!!!!!


Use the hacked 1.21 editor (available on the fanatics centre homepage) and replace the useless editor in the civ3 folder. Click on the civ3mod.bic icon in the civ3 folder and the editor will start. Add "Modern Frigate" and choose an icon. Don't use any other name for this unit and make sure your art/units folder has the exact same name:otherwise, the game will crash when you click on the icon on the build list. Edit the unit as you like and it should work.

If this doesn't work leave another message here and describe exactly what you did and what happened.

Originally posted by unscratchedfoot

If this doesn't work leave another message here and describe exactly what you did and what happened.




:o k tried that but I do not see the icon for the unit I am tring to add like there is one called shadow warrior that I would like to use but in the icon list it does not show up. What did I do wrong.

Originally posted by ClanNosferatu





:o k tried that but I do not see the icon for the unit I am tring to add like there is one called shadow warrior that I would like to use but in the icon list it does not show up. What did I do wrong.

For the icon you have to use paint pro to cut and paste the picture from this website or an user_32 included by the designer. If you don't know how to do that you can download one of the user_32 provided in the unit graphics forum by helpful designers. The one by Dark Sheer has most of the units in this forum.

In short: download a user32 and replace yours with it then go back to the editor or use paint pro. If all else fails just use the destroyer icon. It doesn't matter if more than one unit has the same icon.

Good luck!

Originally posted by unscratchedfoot


For the icon you have to use paint pro to cut and paste the picture from this website or an user_32 included by the designer. If you don't know how to do that you can download one of the user_32 provided in the unit graphics forum by helpful designers. The one by Dark Sheer has most of the units in this forum.

In short: download a user32 and replace yours with it then go back to the editor or use paint pro. If all else fails just use the destroyer icon. It doesn't matter if more than one unit has the same icon.

Good luck!


Now that helped I have one more thing to ask do I need the PRTO_nameofunit for it to work???:D :D :D :cool:

Darky! PLZ help me out!!!!


- I downloaded your zip files
- Put the pcx files in the directory u said
- Have the Civ3CopyTool
- downloaded you smalle pic to put in unit_32

And now what? I have made a new map..........the Copy tool is asking for a BIC file (wtf is a bic file?).
Does it mean here my home made map?
Any way if i search for the Modern Frigate......its not there?

Can sombody explain me in a few staps how i can add a custom unit!!

Originally posted by Eliminator
Darky! PLZ help me out!!!!


- I downloaded your zip files
- Put the pcx files in the directory u said
- Have the Civ3CopyTool
- downloaded you smalle pic to put in unit_32

And now what? I have made a new map..........the Copy tool is asking for a BIC file (wtf is a bic file?).
Does it mean here my home made map?
Any way if i search for the Modern Frigate......its not there?

Can sombody explain me in a few staps how i can add a custom unit!!

Look at the previous 4 messages. Don't use the copytool. The hacked editor is better. It's very easy to use. Make sure you download those zip files into folders in your units folder. #$%@ copytool just makes my editor crash. I think it needs another program called v8 or something so don't bother with it. By the way, the bic file is the blue civIII icon in the civ3 folder. You should copy it before editing (back-up).

Just something minor...

What attributes do you suggest for the frigate?

Oh and DarkSheer, what will i tell my citizens when they see your wonderful creation rolling off the dry dock to defend their country? will they leave me and join you?

Anyways, i think you (DarkSheer) should create a Russian type warship, you know, with the huge torpedo tubes on the sides..

well cya..