Modders Guide to Orbis

I guess I should started this thread a long time ago. Anyway, here are descriptions of new tags and overall changes to Orbis code that can be of use to modders.

Remeber there is a xlsm editor that comes with every Orbis patch. It can make your modding much easier. It is an edited version of FfH editor, so if you have used it, you will know how it works.
You may recognize many of the tags from Fall Further. That is because they come from FF

First, GlobalDefinesAlt.xml (Global Defines sheet in editor)

RANGE_COMBAT_DAMAGE: affects damage from ranged combat
RANGE_COMBAT_XP_PERCENTAGE : % damage done needed for granting 1 xp from ranged combat
PROMOTION_INVISIBLE_SHROUD: promotion granted by Nox Nocis
TERRAIN_TEMPERATURE_TOLERANCE: Number of turns after which terrain changes to colder/hotter.
WITHDRAW_PROMOTION: Promotion granted to units on withdrawal
ORC_CIVILIZATION, ORC_LEADER, ANIMAL_CIVILIZATION, ANIMAL_LEADER, DEMON_CIVILIZATION, DEMON_LEADER: define barbarian factions leaders and civilizations
EVIL_TILE_THRESHOLD
MAX_ANIMAL_ESCALATIONS: Max extra strength for ancient animals
MAX_ORC_STACK_SPAWN_SIZE: Number of units that spawn in one stack for Orc barbarians
GONE_TO_HELL_THRESHOLD_PERCENTAGE: % of hellish tiles required for Gone to Hell victory

Tags and fields from files included in the editor:

CIV4LeaderHeadInfos.xml (Leader sheet)
FLAVOR_MAGIC: Science and magic flavours got separated for more flexibility, this field is also listed for techs, units etc.
ERA_RENAISSANCE: music for renaissance era added in Orbis
bMinorLeader: marks unit as a minor, independantly from the minor trait; used for colony creation
iHatedCivicAttitudeChange
iHatedCivicAttitudeDivisor
iHatedCivicAttitudeChangeLimit: max negative relations from running a civic
HatedCivic: hated civic
Image: leader popup, used for defeat popup
DefeatQuote: quote, as above
RELIGION_CULT_OF_THE_DRAGON: religion weigth for cult of the dragon, set to -100 for every leader (so can't be adopted)

CIV4CivilizationInfos.xml (Civilizations sheet)
bUnique Buildings: buildings with bUnique tag, allowed for this civilization
bUnique Unit: same as above but for units; both are editor only for easy use (in actuall file contionues unique building and unit list)
bLimitedSelection: Only units listed for the civ are allowed, other blocked
iTemperatureChangePerTurn: 1 towards desert, -1 towards snow
FeatureHealthPercentChanges: modifies health from features for the civ
FeatureYieldChanges: as above, but for feature yields
ImprovementYieldChanges: as above, but for improvement yields
TerrainYieldChanges: as above, but for terrain yields

CIV4TechInfos.xml (Techs sheet)
CommerceFlexible: Espionage allows tech to adjust espionage rate

CIV4BuildingInfos.xml (Buildings Sheet)
PowerYieldModifiers: allows to modify food, production and trade if the city has power (exclusively used by Mechanos)

CIV4BonusInfos.xml (Bonus Sheet)
FeatureBooleans FEATURE_KELP FEATURE_SWAMP: to allow bonuses to spawn on new features

CIV4ImprovementInfos.xml (Improvement Sheet)
SpawnUnitCiv
bSpawnOnlyForOwner
iSpawnAtOnceLimit
bExplorable
iLairCreationWeight
iBasePlotCounterModify

CIV4PromotionInfos.xml (Promotions Sheet)
iPromotionDuration
iPromotionRandomApplyChance
iGroupSizeChange
iDamageOnRemove
iChanceMiscast
iNoBadExplore
bIgnoreTerrainCosts
bMoveImpassable
bFlatMoveCost
bNoDefenseBonus
bAllowDefenseBonuses
TempUnitCombat
bNonWarWeariness
iExtraSupport
bFreeUnit
bIndependant
iSlaveGenerationChance
iAirCombat
iAirCombatLimitBoost
iCombatDmgCapBoost
iExtraDropRange
iCombatExtraDuration
iChangeDuration
iDurationAlter
iDurationPerTurn
iSpyEscape
iSpyDeception
iSpyIntercept
iSpyPreparation
bSpyLoyal
iSpyPoison
iSpyUnhappy
iSpyUnrest
PrereqInBorderEnemy
PrereqInBorderNone
PrereqInBorderRival
PrereqInBorderTeam
PrereqInBorderSelf
PrereqInCity
PrereqTier
PrereqWeaponTier
PrereqPermission
bAutoAcquire
bMustMaintain
bNoXP
iGoldCost
PrereqbAllowNULLUnitCombat
bEffectProm
PythonPostCombatLost
PythonPostCombatWon
PythonOnRemove
PrereqUnits
PrereqUnitClassesOnTile
PrereqUnitClassesNOTOnTile
PrereqUnitTypesOnTile
PrereqUnitTypesNOTOnTile
PrereqPromotionsOnTile
PrereqPromotionsNOTOnTile
PrereqCivics
PrereqCivilizations
PrereqTraits
PrereqReligions
PrereqCorporations
PrereqBonusORs
PrereqFeatures
PrereqTerrains
PrereqImprovements
PrereqBuildingANDs
PrereqBuildingORs
PromotionOverwrites
PromotionReplacedBy
PromotionDegradesTo
PromotionAllows
PromotionExcludes

CIV4SpellInfos.xml (Spells Sheet)
bSummonMaster
iPromotionDuration
Quote

CIV4UnitInfos.xml(Units Sheet)
iSpyEscapeProb: base modifier to spy escape after mission chances
iSpyDeceptionProb: base modifier to spy avoiding discovery
iSpyInterceptProb: base modifier to chances to reveal a spy
PythonOnDeath: "Function run any time that the unit attempts to be killed. If the function returns a 1, the kill process will not continue (like Immortality). This call is made AFTER Immortal rebirth stops the kill function. There is a python exposed command to disable this call from being made by the unit anymore (PyUnit.setDisablePyDeath(true)), and this function will not run when the unit is killed at the end of converting."
Images: for great people, list of pictures for birth popup
Quotes: for great people, list of quotes for birth popup (use the same number as image)
DenyPromotions: Unit is uncapable of having any promotion listed in these fields
AllowPromotions "Grants the unit permission to gain listed promotions regardless of unit-centric prerequisites (PrereqUnitClass, PrereqUnits, PrereqTier, PrereqWeaponTier). Also the unit must list any promotion in this field if the promotion is flagged as <bRequiresPermission>"

more to come...

CIV4BuildingClassInfos.xml
bUnique: building is unavaliable unless allowed in civ entry

CIV4UnitClassInfos.xml
bUnique: as above, but for unit

CIV4TraitInfos.xml
TerrainExperienceModifiers: changes experience (%) from cobat on specific terrain
PeakYieldChanges: sets yields for peak tiles (i.e. for Khazad)
GlobalSeaPlotYieldChanges: extra yields from water tiles
FeatureChangeYields: extra yield from feature
FeatureProductionChanges: extra production (%) from chopping forests
FeatureGrowthChanges: modifies chances for feature spread
iHurryPopulationModifier: modifies hammers from population rush (extra hammers applied for next item in queque)
PeaceCommerceModifiers: commerce modifer applied only when at peace
SpecialistYieldChanges: extra yields from specialists
SpecialistCommerceChanges: extra commerce from specialists
iModReligionSpreadChance: modifies religion spread chances; -100% disables religion founding

CIV4CorporationInfo.xml
FreeBuildingClass: free building acquired on guild spread
FreePromotion: free promotion applied for valid units in cities with the guild
UnitCombatFreeExperiences: free xp for specific unit combats
iDefense: extra defense applied in cities with the guild (building type, so ignored by cannons)
iUpgradeCostModifier: upgrade cost modifier (%) in cities with guild

CIV4HandicapInfo.xml
iUnownedWaterTilesPerGameAnimal: self explanatory, used in water animals generation
iAnimalEscalationTurnsElapsed: defines number of turns for strenght enhancements on wild animals
iLairsPerCycle: number of lairs created by every lair creation cycle (defined in gamespeedinfo.xml)
iPercentDemonsPerUnownedEvilPlot: demon creation
iDemonGlobalCountSpawnBoostInterval
iDemonGlobalCountSpawnBoostRate
iDemonSpawnRateGlobalCounterEnhancementPercent
iDemonGlobalCounterFreeXPPercent: free xp granted for demon civ units on creation (% of AC)
iDemonPerTurnKnownTechsPercent
iDemonBonus
iAIDemonBonus

CIV4GoodyInfo.xml
iMaxTurnsElapsed: max game turns that the goody is valid
BarbarianCivilization: for spawned barbarians, sets which civ they spawn for

this one too

I'm changing the Armageddon counter in python using CyGame().changeGlobalCounter(integer). The counter changes just fine, but the responsible civilization doesn't seem to get credit/blame for the change. Is there a python function to assign blame/credit for Armageddon changes?

You have to change through the player to get it assigned to them (and ONLY through the player, they will update the global themselves)

Ah! so there is a pPlayer function that changes the counter? Is it python accessible and can you tell me what it is?

Yes, it is python accessible, only in FF, Orbis and those who use our code or that part of it in their mods. It should be the exact same command, but do it on pPlayer instead of CyGame()

Maybe it's not accessible in Orbis?

Here is the code that works partially. It changes global counter (in either direction as intended) but does not give credit to player:

Here is my changed code. This just gives a callback error "CyPlayer does not have attribute changeGlobalCounter()"

Using "player" didn't work either (I always get CyPlayer and PyPlayer confused).

Ah, I hadn't actually checked it, but assumed I would have kept to the same name as the game version, it appears I did not. Use pPlayer.changeGlobalCounterContrib(iChange)

Thanks xienwolf! It works!

xienwolf or Ahwaric,

Please ignore if you don't like feature requests, but two things that would have made my life easier:
1. pCity.setOriginalOwner(iNewOriginalOwner) - I sure wish there was such a python function (for my modified Tolerant implementation)
2. bRivalTerritory - Can this be made changeable by promotion?

Explore Rival Territory? It is already available through promotion, just has a different name.

And what's that name? (I looked in schema and Ahwaric's post above for likely suspects...but can't find anything)

<bRivalTerritoryExplore>1</bRivalTerritoryExplore>


Used for Freelancer promo in FF, may not have been imported.

i have a question ... is there any function which returns all sub-entities of entity ??
i mean something like (py) listUnits = getAllEntities(UNIT_UNITTYPE) (/py) ...

or i have to do it one by one

for i in range(gc.getNumUnitTypes()):
list.asppend(gc.getUnitInfo(i))


or something along those lines. If you mean to list everything in an XML file. If you mean all units currently in the game, you would have to loop all players and loop their individual unit lists.

xienwolf said:

for i in range(gc.getNumUnitTypes()):
list.asppend(gc.getUnitInfo(i))

Click to expand...

oh, thanks a lot! ...

Is there such a thing as pPlayer.getGlobalCounterContrib() or equivalent function? Basically, I want access in python to the player's contribution to the global counter. (I already know how to change it. I want to know how to get it.)

Yes, getGlobalCounterContrib() exists and you can use it with a player

Thanks Opera! Sometimes you just know the answer without needing to ask.

Ahwaric implemented my AC credit change for spells. Yea me!

It's interesting that he didn't change this for onSetPlayerAlive. I tried changing this in my modmodmod and it had mixed results:

1. When I eliminated the evil Sheiam, I did get credit for the resulting AC drop (balanced in part by an increase from razing a RoK city).

2. When good Banner built Mercurian Gate, it seems that both Banner and Mercurians got blamed for big AC increases (I think 5 for Mercs).

I'm not absolutely sure that #2 came from my change, but I suspect it has something to do with Ahwaric's "various reasons" for not changing onSetPlayerAlive. Does anyone know what is going on here?