As the first step towards making my fantasy mod for Civ4, as well as to train myself in python scripting and get familiar with the unit XML files, my first mod for Civ4 is going to be a "Hero Unit" system.

Basically, what I forsee for this system is as follows:
Heroes appear through events and are tied to civ, tech, and resources. For example, you can't get an Elven hero unless you have an Elven Village resource connected to your capital.
Heroes are standard units, not Great People. They can fight and be killed, and they can gain promotions.
However, the promotions they gain aren't the same ones that normal units get. Hero units have their own individualized promotions that represent them growing stronger. For example, the elven hero above might start out as a swordsman; at his first promotion, he might gain the option to learn to use a bow (getting a first strike and small strength upgrade perhaps) or to concentrate more on his swordsmanship (getting a bigger strength upgrade). Each of those promotions would then have their own set of possible promotions, and so on.
Heroes are completely unique. Each hero will only appear once in the game, and if they die they stay dead forever (with the possible exception of very high level heroes, who might have discovered how to defeat death itself...).

These are being made for a high-fantasy mod, so the heros are intended to be very powerful individually. Yes, it's possible that high level heros will destroy entire legions of troops. That's fine from my point of view. There will also be upgrade paths for most of the heroes that leads them to a "command" role (generals, marshals, and the like) which will make them less individually strong but will grant bonuses to nearby units.

Anyway, I will use this thread to update my progress on this system (I expect the first alpha version to be working by next monday - just a single hero and single promotion) as well as to field any questions or comments :)

This sounds like a very interesting idea and I will definatly download it when it comes out.The improved moding will allow thousands of different fun possibilities

BTW u stole my picture:(

This sounds great. I'll definitely check it out.

Absolutely - I was mystified that the Great Military Leader concept was removed when all the other Great People were introduced. Admittedly its replaced with promotions and the like.

However, many Civ's attained their greatest fame through their heroes (mythical, exaggerated or otherwise) and I'd love this in game. Another element to play around with.

I think the big attraction to RTS games in the Warcraft 3 style is the difference the heroes and their promotions make. It won't make Civ 4 an RTS so there is nothing to worry about, but this can even be implemented without necessarily adding a 'fantasy' element to the game.

But I forsee a brilliant 'Age of Heroes' mod featuring warring Greek states and mythical creatures. I haven't played it yet, but man I think I love Civ 4.

But I forsee a brilliant 'Age of Heroes' mod featuring warring Greek states and mythical creatures.

If I wasn't already commited to my own mod (set in its own original world) I'd make a greek city states/mythology mod. I'm sure someone else will. It'd be sweet playing with Herakles and Odysseus and Perseus battling gorgons and hydras and so on.

I haven't played it yet, but man I think I love Civ 4.

Me too :D

I have the basics working now. I have a "Test Hero" unit in game with its own unique promotion that only it can get.

Two quick screenshots (not much to look at really but hey):

Hmmm....I can sense an extension to this concept to encompass the world of Warhammer & even 40k..Afterall they are both about your hero units right:goodjob:

I have the basics working now. I have a "Test Hero" unit in game with its own unique promotion that only it can get.

Two quick screenshots (not much to look at really but hey):

Did this require Python?

No, the basic Hero stuff shouldn't require any Python at all. My end goal for the system (in my own mod) will, though. It's easy to add new promotions and such just using the XML, but the events to actually get the heroes will require scripting, and some of the abilities I want heroes to have will probably have to wait for the SDK.

What's the status of this? Makes me want to make an age of wonders type game. Wonder if those units can be converted to a civ4 format. :)

oh no, not fantasy stuff again, man I hate fantasy. just make more Historical things people.

If you don't like it, don't post in threads about it. People are going to make whatever they want to make.

Fight The Power!!!

Please tell us whenever if you have any more sucess with this. BTW, would all heroes start the same or start similar except classes?(you would have a start as either a rogue or swordsman or archer or berzerker/axeman)or would they all start different

Maybe you should apply some limitations, like with Missionaries and Spies, so people can only have or build three or four of these at a time. And maybe a National Wonder, like with Scotland Yard, so they can only be built in one town?

oh no, not fantasy stuff again, man I hate fantasy. just make more Historical things people.

It works just as well historically.
For instance, make a "Regicide" scenario and have the leaders have special promotions.

There, historical.

Maybe you should apply some limitations, like with Missionaries and Spies, so people can only have or build three or four of these at a time. And maybe a National Wonder, like with Scotland Yard, so they can only be built in one town?

I think he said the heroes were not build, but spawn when certain things happen. Recommendation: Try and make some that appear from techs, like great people do with music and fusion and stuff

Wow, this is a blast from the past ^^

OK, update on heros: Unfortunately the way I was intending to do them is broken (the onUnitPromoted event in the event manager never, ever fires, as far as I can tell). Thus, heros have been pushed back until after Alpha release of my mod, which should be in January - I'm in the final stages of XML work now. I still have ways that I know work to update the heros, but they require more work and a slight re-design of the system.

And now some direct responses. I apologize for missing the previous (november 27) re-occurance of this thread. That must have been the one day since release that I never checked this forum.

Please tell us whenever if you have any more sucess with this. BTW, would all heroes start the same or start similar except classes?(you would have a start as either a rogue or swordsman or archer or berzerker/axeman)or would they all start different


I'm leaning towards each hero having its own starting class and upgrades from that class, currently. I'll have to look into just how much work that ends up being, but that's the plan. It may end up that each hero has a "template" that they follow, ie you'd have Warrior, Priest, Mage, Archer, Scout hero bases and all the upgrade paths for each base are the same for every hero that has that base. Each hero would still have their own unique traits, but the upgrades would be static.

Maybe you should apply some limitations, like with Missionaries and Spies, so people can only have or build three or four of these at a time. And maybe a National Wonder, like with Scotland Yard, so they can only be built in one town?

Heros are not able to be built. They only appear through random events. Each nation has its own pool of national heros, and there are some heros who become available with certain techs and resources, as well. For example, the Elven heros will only appear for a civ that has an Elven Village resource connected, and the Inquistor heros will only appear after the advent of Theology. The plan is for 4 national heros per civ (8 civs in the initial release, 32 heros), 2 per racial resource (of which there are 8, so 16 racial heros), and another 16 that are related to miscellaneous techs and resources. Grand total at initial release of the Hero System is planned to be 64 heros.

I think he said the heroes were not build, but spawn when certain things happen. Recommendation: Try and make some that appear from techs, like great people do with music and fusion and stuff

I'm not sure if I want the techs to automatically grant the heros, although that would be easy to do. I think I'd rather just only allow the hero to spawn for civs that have the appropriate tech - makes it a little less overpowered for the tech leader, while still giving them the best chance at that hero.

(onUnitPromoted event in the event manager never, ever fires, as far as I can tell)
It does! I did a test. It fires just fine.

It does! I did a test. It fires just fine.

Grrrr. Can you PM me (or just post here if you want) the python file you did to test it? I can't get it to work no matter what I do - it won't even print out debug text or show up in the debug log. That event all by itself will simplify my work with heros greatly. I know Kael had problems with that same event, too, so I'm sure he'd be glad to see how to get it to work.

Here ya go. This'll just enter a bit into the log when the unit get's promoted, and will give you the unit's name.

Thanks muchly. Off to test and fiddle.

Right, basically this post was my shocked exclaimations saying that it wasn't working... but now it works - I think I must've loaded the wrong test mod :P

Yeah, it's not working for me at all. Do you have any idea of the circumstances where it did and did not work?

Thanks to a ton of help from TheGreatApple, I now have a working Hero system using onUnitPromote! My initial plan didn't work - forcing the unit to upgrade - but with a little research the original hero unit is destroyed and the upgraded one is created on the same tile. Now I need to actually design the hero units and get the system working with those units (currently it's simply upgrading any unit that gets a Combat1 promotion to an Axeman, heh).