Can you have a civ start without any settlers or cities? I want to simulate a revolution, but when I tested it after the first unit attacks I lose the game. Is there a way round this?

Also in the WH2.5 mod each faction gets to choose from only 1 government type at the start of the game, but its a different govt type depending on the civ. How do you do this? Usually govt types are just attached to a tech and if you have that tech you can have the govt type right?

Do wonders have to have a wonder splash? I turned an ordinary building into a wonder but the game crashed when I built it becuase it couldn't find the wonder splash. Is there a way round this?

Cheers

There are Details that cannot be stated completely without writing a very long answer so Check out the Tutorials in the General Forum.

1. You can make a Scenario that does not have settlers to start and in fact does not ever have to have them. This is set in the Editor under "general Settings", Look under Default Units Captured Units: Start Unit 1: and Start Unit 2 for Settler and Worker. You will also need to adjust the Editor under "Difficulty Level", under "Number of start unit type 1:" and "Number of start unit type 2:". If you do not want starting settlers, set those areas to 0. IF you do not want any settlers ever, set the Editor so they cannot be built. Do Not select ANY CIV to be able to Build them under the settler Unit settings... De-select all CIVs. You can remove the Cost, Tech and Resource Requirements if you want or just remove Settler Units.

You must have a "City" which serves as your CIVs Location in order to have a Game because when you lose all of your "Cities" the Game "Knows" you have Lost. That said, you can be creative and make a "Building" or Place that can serve as a so called Game "City" without looking like one but you do need CIV Locations (Cities" for a Game.

2. Governments are assigned in the Editor under "Governments". You can give each CIV Group a Free Tech for example that they can only have and that is available from the start of the game. This separates them from all others so this Tech can then be a Requirement for a separate Government for this CIV. Add the New Free TECHs to the "Civilization Advances" in the Editor so you can use them as Requirements for Governments. You will need to make several adjustments concerning this as well as the PediaIcons and Civilopedia text files...not to mention pcx files IF you want images of the New Techs and any new Governments.

3. You need a Wonder Splash if you Build a Wonder but you can also pre-place Wonders so they do not have to be built to avoid having a Wonder Splash. Make sure you either use an existing Wonder or Improvement (that you do not use) on the buildings large and small files or place your new one where it goes there as well as adjust the PediaIcons and Civilopedia Text files according to how you want to add your Wonder. Is it going to take the place of an existing Wonder or Improvement or are you adding it as an Additional Wonder. If you are replacing an existing Wonder, you can simply use the entries in the PediaIcons and Civilopedia text files and adjust them for your New Wonder but if you are adding your Wonder as an additional Wonder, you need to know exactly all of the areas that must be entered correctly. There is a Tutotial that will help you with this.

There are many Tutorials here that will help you with many specific questions so browse through them to gain more information concerning the "How To's" :)

You can actually have a civ that starts without any settlers or cities. Such a civ operates under slightly different rules from normal. It can move its units and fight normally, but if any unit is destroyed, the whole civ will be wiped out. If the civ manages to capture a city, then that city becomes its capital and it reverts to normal rules: it can lose battles normally from then on.

I did this with the Falasha in my African scenario, so have a look at that if you want to see the idea in action.

Thanks so much Vuldacon for your very detailed answer I really appreciate it. And point taken that I should read more tutorials. I think I can do everything you said.

Just one clarification about point 2. Regarding the free tech that I create and give to certain civs in order that they can have a certain govt. Does this tech have to be represented graphically on the tech tree becuase I think that is beyond me at present.

Plotinus thankyou for your responce also. My scenario simulates a revolution in one country. There are only two players the revolutionaries and the govt of that country who control all the cities. If the first unit the revolutionaries attack with has to win, this will make it rather hard to play unless I set it up that they have an almost 'sure thing' city they can take. I wanted it to be quite hard to take cities for the revolutionaries. For example perhaps they are set to attack ten cities but are only likely to take about three. My hope was that each time you play the scenario different cities lose to the revolutionaries thus giving the scenario a bit of variation.

I think I may have to create a start city for the revolutionaries, perhaps called "Revolutionary Training Camp" or some such name as vuldacon suggests. But then I would want to limit the ability of that city to build buildings as normal cities do. That would be a whole new problem. I can think of at least one way that might work for that though.

Thankyou both again!!!

Just one clarification about point 2. Regarding the free tech that I create and give to certain civs in order that they can have a certain govt. Does this tech have to be represented graphically on the tech tree becuase I think that is beyond me at present.

No, it does not need to be on the tech tree. What you do set the tech's era to "none" under the "civilizations advances" tab in the editor, then give it to the desired civilization by adding it as a free advance in the "civilizations" tab.

What I would also do with the tech is make it so it can't be traded - this is one of the options for each tech under the "civilizations advances" tab.

I've tried to be clear with this answer, but if it sounds like double Dutch, just say so and one of us will clarify things if needed ;).

:confused: I was under the impression that having a Civ without either Settlers or a city crashes the game ...

-Oz

EDIT: Just read Plotinus' response. Interesting.

-O.

I think I may have to create a start city for the revolutionaries, perhaps called "Revolutionary Training Camp" or some such name as vuldacon suggests. But then I would want to limit the ability of that city to build buildings as normal cities do. That would be a whole new problem. I can think of at least one way that might work for that though.

You could give them a settler, stuck on a one-tile island consisting of a terrain type that cannot be built upon. Then they'd follow normal rules as far as battles go, but the settler wouldn't be able to actually do anything. The only problem with this solution is that it doesn't look very neat to the player.

nick0515... Welcome to the Wonderful World of Modding :lol:
As R8FXT said, you can use Era None and you do not have to make an Image. Best to set it as Not able to be Traded as R8FXT mentioned.

Before you Go Off the "Deep End"... remember that there are usually several ways to "get around" a problem and in the case of Altering CIV, there are many ways but you will need to understand the Known Factors so you can then be creative with the Facts to be able to gain what you want for your game in the best way that is closest to what you want.

All of the Guys that have Posted on this thread Know what they are talking about and are Veterans concerning Modding CIV so Take their advice into consideration and Do "Wade Through" the Tutorials...they will help... then IF you have any Specific Questions, many People here will be glad to help you. :)

There are Many people here that are willing to answer Questions...It is just easier to Try to answer Specific Questions after you already understand the many other Factors because there are far too many branching details that affect almost anything we want to change in the CIV Games.

Kick back, and don't expect to Know all things right away...No one does, so take your time and understand what to do and make Back Ups of your Files in case you make a mistake...you will be having Great Fun making your game as you work on it.

...IF you set pre-placed Cities or Settlers in unreachable areas, the Cities or Settlers could not be captured or Killed and that would make a Conquest Victory impossible but you could arrange for some Unit in the late Game to be able to reach the otherwise Unreachable areas to be able to ultimately Win...many things you can do to gain the result you want. Just a matter of what works and appeals to you.

Another way to work #1 would be to turn on "Mass Regicide", and put one king unit for each civ out in some unreachable (impassable) terrain.

Another way to work #1 would be to turn on "Mass Regicide", and put one king unit for each civ out in some unreachable (impassable) terrain.

Hmm, you could do that for what Nick0515 wants to do by setting up a two tile island of mountainous terrain, surrounding that by one or two tiles of water on all sides, and then surrounding that with mountainous terrain. Just make sure that you set mountains for no cities built on them. That way, you could land on the outer mountain ring, but have no way of getting to the inner tiles. The other option would be to set them in a couple of oasis, surrounded by impassable desert terrain. Problem there would be the possibility of getting to them with helicopters, unless you make the impassable desert pretty big.

No, it does not need to be on the tech tree. What you do set the tech's era to "none" under the "civilizations advances" tab in the editor, then give it to the desired civilization by adding it as a free advance in the "civilizations" tab.

What I would also do with the tech is make it so it can't be traded - this is one of the options for each tech under the "civilizations advances" tab.

I've tried to be clear with this answer, but if it sounds like double Dutch, just say so and one of us will clarify things if needed ;).

Thankyou R8XFT for clarifying that. I think I follow what you are saying. I'm fairly familiar with the editor. But its the specifics I need to learn; the subtle details that make things work smoothly. :)

Another way to work #1 would be to turn on "Mass Regicide", and put one king unit for each civ out in some unreachable (impassable) terrain.

I like that idea. Would having a king unit and regicide negate the need for a settler/city?

I like that idea. Would having a king unit and regicide negate the need for a settler/city?

AFAIK, no.

From what I've seen, it would negate this need. The one downside would be that no civ could be completely "conquered" during the game (which, if you want rebels fighting, wouldn't be too bad a problem ;))

EDIT: X-post