Ah, I see...currently I know of no easy way to enable units via buildings. If anyone else knows how, feel free to share!
The process appears to be quite simple, and is used liberally in the "Procylon Call to Power Project" where building X is required to build Unit Y. Although I cannot say whether you just need one of those buildings in your civilization to unlock the unit, or if you need that building in each city you would want to build it in. Someone who has spent a little more time playing PCtPP maybe able to elaborate on that before I get through that mod properly.
But I digress, their code for the GAUSS_TANK, for example is as simple as adding to the Unit's XML:
Code:
<Row>
<UnitType>UNIT_GAUSS_TANK</UnitType>
<BuildingClassType>BUILDINGCLASS_ADVANCED_AUTO_PLANT</BuildingClassType>
</Row>
It appears that all would be required is to replace GAUSS_TANK and ADVANCE_AUTO_PLANT to your diplomatic unit and forum, respectively. (maybe there are some other steps such as updating the CIV5BuildingClasses.xml too.)
However, having said all that, I don't think it's the kind of addition that is needed withing CSD. The +Culture and -%Production already makes it an attractive building, not only if you intend to play culturely or diplomatically. It can save a city a good 50+ turns of production in a standard speed game.
Hax!
Yeah, I was aware of this, yet I'm not really sure how to fix this...one thought (and this might fix the above issue concerning upgrades) is to have the diplomatic units from the previous era obsolete as a result of an early new era tech (i.e. have Messengers obsolete with a level-1 medieval tech). The only problem with this is that there might be a few turns in which you won't be able to build diplo units, which sucks. If anyone has any ideas on this, let me know.
I'll look into your last suggestion. I'm not sure if its possible.
I wouldn't like the idea of units to go out date before you can research the next unit. Time without a diplomatic unit could be crippling and unintended. If you were going down that path, I'd suggest making your Messenger go obsolete at Renaissance, with the oppertunity to research Civil Service before that time comes.
I've just edited your Civ5Units file to have your messenger have multple Obsolete Techs and that actually prevents all your added units from being loaded, so that killed my suggestion. It appears the only other way would be to edit the tech trees, though I would suggest against that as there are so many paths you'd need to build.
E.g., (I'm going with Letters again)
E demands A, B, C and NOT D.
D depends on all A, B and C (So nothing wrong there)
C does NOT depend on A or B.
B depends on A (nothing wrong there either/)
So putting branches between Civil Seriveice and Printing Press, and between Railroad and Mass Media - without making a mess of the tree. The Messy fix would of course be to move Emissary and Foreign Office to somewhere like Navigation and your Diplomat to Electricity, for examples.
In my next game.... I'm actually considering cutting out B and D, to see what the game would be like (without moving C). The upgrades over those three remaing units would be far more beneficial as 2 extra movement + other bonuses means that they are required to ally Civ Sates which are not nearby (to the point where one may want to even upgrade their current diplomatic units that maybe sitting on standby). It's just a test of course and I wouldn't suggesting cutting them out from the mod.
I don't think there is a way to enable invincibility for units. I could try cloaking for fun, but the cloaking mechanism is utterly broken on land...for now.
I've been tweaking the gold:influence ratio in the past few versions. I don't want it to be too low, because otherwise the already gimped AI will be throwing its money into an empty pool (whereas players spend it on useful stuff like...guns and bombs). Once the AI learns to spend their money I'll cut out influence via gold altogether.
Yeah, source code love needed for this one. Is definitely #1 on my list.
Yeah, would love to get my hands on the source code just to fix certain parts of the game. While making the mods very modular (with respect to other games) is a nice step forward for simply chances to be made to the game, too many hands are being tied without the source.
Most GM mods make his customs house building more useful, which I think is a nice boost. Ultimately, he's really a Great Merchant/Diplomat if you are using CSD (as he too gets the 55 influence boost).
I've haven't tried modding great people, nor have I played any mods that changed the great people (Though there's a chance I just didn't realise a mod had done it compared with its other changes). Mr Great Merchent is still nice to have on a Diplomatic game of course, its just I now see him as a free diplomat
putting him almost on the same level as a Military Civ State gifted unit. Poor soul...
Thanks for the great feedback. Hopefully others will join the CSD revolution! It'd be swell if the folks at Firaxis saw this and incorporated it, eh? As long as they include a Gazebo building in the game (replace that dumb Garden!) I'll be happy!
In fairness, the developers should see this mod as a good gameplay addition. I'd be demanding a small cut of their wages too, but I doubt it would happen.
Also, I'd just make a small XML file in your mod to change the word Garden into Gazebo... it'll be interesting to see who notices.
The Flaming Red
Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock