ok, I have never modded before, but I am taking some C++ classes this year:nuke: and I would like to use this as an opportunity to make a few changes to fall further plus.

I was thinking of adding a large grouping of promotions, mostly for a new catagory I was thinking of adding for Golems, something like the bannor command promotions. Possibly experience bonuses for commanding units, but have those units get special promotions for "interesting" abilities after certain levels.
Could someone please help me find where and what to mod for this.

Any help at all would be much appreciated.

First off, most of your work will be just simple xml. Go in and look at the promotions that are already there, see what it looks like, then add whatever you want. If something needs to use python, look at something else that already uses python (ex. scorch spell) and see what you need to do to change that. There are a few guides under FF and regular FFH that tell you the basics of what you need to know, but most of it will end up being look at what is already there and modify it so it does what you want it to.

Another thing to note - nowhere does civ use C++. Your C++ will be useful in understanding the general concepts of coding, but the syntax will be completely different.

-Colin

Another thing to note - nowhere does civ use C++. Your C++ will be useful in understanding the general concepts of coding, but the syntax will be completely different.

This is not in fact true. Civ 4 uses three coding languages.

XML: Used to define everything. All tags are defined in the schema and SDK.
C++: Used for the game core (SDK). After editing, you must compile to make your change do anything.
Python: Used for scripting. Can do a lot with python but this will slow down the game. You don't have to compile.

really what I was asking about was, what is possible through promotions? I would like to condense a lot of the promotions, possibly change the way the promotions end, with only another normal promotion. I would like to add auto-promos that combine two or three lines of promotions and allow you to regain those original promotions, easy, modererate or hard in C++? thnx!

In C++, impossible. Mostly because all the relevent tags for that exist, and are set in XML, then imported back to the DLL(C++).

XML is incredibly easy, and is very versatile thanks to Xienwolf. For example, even though Golems have no unitclass and shouldn't get any promotions, you can set a promotion to require the golem race and set the nullunitclass tag... Grants them the promo. One of the Luchuirp minor leaders has a trait that does that if you want an example.

thanks, i had noticed the promo, and totally forgot it. now I'm wondering how to make a new spell that allows the golems to "go crazy," remove human, control, heals 50 percent after combat, lasts 10 turns, plus 2 moves, pillages all tiles down to base terain. sujestions?

Tags for all of that exist. Just copy the 'test' promo, winnow it down to tags you need... Make sure you have the allownullcombat tag like the other golem promo. The spell part is also simple xml, with plenty of examples... Just look at a buff spell.