MTech: Expanding the Ages

The goal is to take the Civ 4 technology system, and add it to colonization. This will include all the XML/Python/ and SDK aspects. Technological advancements will be divided into different categories corresponding to the founding fathers. The Technology Advisor Screen will be similar to Civ 4, as the screen shots in the second post will show. I plan to include most of the technologies from Civ 4, and others as the mod develops.

Their will be new units, resources, buildings, professions, etc to fill out the eras. I am working on a unique system incorporating the idea of Health/sickness , and Happiness/Unhappiness. This will be a main mechanic that the mod builds around. This is not a total conversion mod, but it will expand the Colonization game to a more Civ-like scale.



Currently Status:

I am currently working on the XML tech list to further flush out the techs that will be included, and how those techs will be divided amongst the categories. I am curious to get other players ideas on what techs (Civ 4 and others) should be included, and what era/category they would belong to. I am also interested in opinions on what professions should be included to match the Eras/techs/resources.

I am excited to see where this mod goes, and I hope others are as well. I am open to other peoples input so if you have an opinion please feel free to add it.

These new screenshots are the latest updated tech screen and shows two example categories to show what I have done.

To-Do's

Done - Porting Civ 4 SDK technology system to Colonization.
Done - Editing the Civ 4 Technology XML to better fit the Colonization system.
Flushing out the specifics of the technology tree.
Finishing out the Technology Advisor screen, and upload more screen shots.


Change File Log (For those who are interested):

What creates technology points?

Well, thats a good point first of all. There is a plan for a science profession and appropriate buildings. I am also thinking of including a technology commerce slider like Civ, but since there is no per turn income the idea is to fund research from your treasury. My plan is to keep it simple so the system doesn't get in the way of the gameplay.

I am open for any ideas you may have.

why not buy them with the gold you earn?
Like in the game Imperialism

Crazy_Ivan80 said:

why not buy them with the gold you earn?
Like in the game Imperialism

Click to expand...

I do agree that buying research points with gold is an important aspect that shouldn't be overlooked. But I think the ratio of gold to research points in colonization should be higher to encourage using the science profession/buildings.

For example the ratio in Civ 4 is 4 gold per 1 research point (I think, would have to check it to be sure). A good ratio in colonization might be 6 or 7 gold per 1 research.. so it is harder to buy ergo you want more people making research, but you can spend your hard earned gold to buy that tech.

My strongest consideration into the whole gold for tech thing is a more towards gold per turn investment so that you don't have to save up just to dump tons of money in a single turn. This could be set with the commerce slider mentioned earlier. This would allow you to save up money,spend a little of it, or dump large chunks of gold if you wanted. Also if it was a percentage then you would not have to worry about spending all your gold, or even specifying how much gold to the last coin.

The question is would that be too complicated? Of course it would have to show the gold drain on the screen so you could see it easily, but since there is no standard income per turn the amount you pay in would vary per turn, although it would always be that percent of your empires treasure (unless you changed it of course).

A little update, I have ported over the SDK from Civ 4 to Colonization. The Civ4TechInfos.xml is now read, and usable in game, as the new screenshot shows. The XML file has also been slightly edited to remove Civ 4 specific things. A few examples are Flavor, Commerce related tags, and Advisor, but these may be added later after I get better handle of what I want to do with the technologies. I have also added a tag to aply the techs to their own categories, but haven't actually flushed out the tech tree. My current goal is to flush out the tech tree, and to finish the Technology Advisor screen, but I see the part about making the specific techs being the long part of that goal. More screenshots, as well as a to do list extension, will be coming shortly after the screen is finished.

Hey bro, sounds like a nice project. I don't have a lot of time lately for modding, what with RL stuff and Colonization 2 to play, but I might be interested in lending a hand in this. Will send you a pm in a few minutes.

This is going to be a a lot of work, but I wish you luck

Jeckel said:

Hey bro, sounds like a nice project. I don't have a lot of time lately for modding, what with RL stuff and Colonization 2 to play, but I might be interested in lending a hand in this. Will send you a pm in a few minutes.

Click to expand...

Thanks Jeckel, for the positive response, although the idea is not a small on it is something I look forward to seeing implemented. About lending a hand.. I more then welcome any help ya want to offer, whether you got a little time or a lot . This is also lucky because I am about to do editing to that main interface soon, and I didn't see that part in your tutorial (Nice btw.. that and lots of trial/error got that darn Science Advisor up and running heh).

Dom Pedro II said:

This is going to be a a lot of work, but I wish you luck

Click to expand...

Yea, I have no doubt this is going to take quite a bit of work, but it is worth it cause I think it is a good idea Thanks for the luck, and keep an eye on the post.. I try to update often, so to finish it.... one step at a time

Melinko, you are talented! Based on this idea, we can even design different tech trees for different countries. Such as changing the "Exploration" to "England", and changing the "Religion" to "France"

Looks like it's gonna be a difficult to implement, but it seems you know what you're doing.

Best of luck, and here's a new avatar to celebrate your ambitious undertaking, Reverend.

xxhe said:

Melinko, you are talented! Based on this idea, we can even design different tech trees for different countries. Such as changing the "Exploration" to "England", and changing the "Religion" to "France"

Click to expand...

I am not sure why other countries would see the techs of others? I figured leaving the Exploration/Religion/etc, would leave a choice of specialization for your colony based on your selections.

Lord Shadow said:

Looks like it's gonna be a difficult to implement, but it seems you know what you're doing.

Best of luck, and here's a new avatar to celebrate your ambitious undertaking, Reverend.

Click to expand...

First would like to say very nice on the avatar!

And it might be difficult, but completely worth it for a fun Mod

it would be strange to see how the people who use guns and sail big ships should learn about the wheel/pottery. However there's nothing strange that an intermediate immigrant doesn't know how to MAKE a wheel (welcome carpentry) or how to forge a weapon, so the idea of buying technonlogies/researching them is not too strange.

By the way I still think that european civs should know the most part of the starting tech tree and they should research only complicated/advanced techs while early techs like carpentry/iron working etc. would be important for natives, so technology mod would be cool to integrate with a "play as natives" mod.

Melinko said:

I am not sure why other countries would see the techs of others? I figured leaving the Exploration/Religion/etc, would leave a choice of specialization for your colony based on your selections.



First would like to say very nice on the avatar!

And it might be difficult, but completely worth it for a fun Mod

Click to expand...

If the techtrees are different, then a serious problem is that how to make the tech trading system (for example, how could one know that he has bought a tech that are not existed on his own techtree?). So IMO, if one can see others' techtree, he can know what techs he has already bought and what's the function of those techs he bought.

This idea is too difficult to make in the original CIV4 because there are soooo many civs in it. While in Col, only 4 countries (or 5 if count in natives) exist, so it may be practicible.

After all, it's only an idea, generated by your image. Hope you may find it applicable.

Deon-

Deon said:

it would be strange to see how the people who use guns and sail big ships should learn about the wheel/pottery. However there's nothing strange that an intermediate immigrant doesn't know how to MAKE a wheel (welcome carpentry) or how to forge a weapon, so the idea of buying technonlogies/researching them is not too strange.

Click to expand...

I see where your coming from in the drop of ages, especially since Civ 4 starts like 2 ages before Colonization does. But one could say if I was put on an island even in this day an age.. there are quite a few things I wouldn't know how to make. Now colonization isn't that isolated at the beginning, but maybe it should be.. just trade with the Indians around you till you can get a boat and make that sail over to the main-land.. but this is just one idea of how it could be explained.. although maybe not the best one , it is just an example.

I would like to incorporate some kind of advanced start, as there looks to be some in colonization already (haven't looked into it) so there is a choice of where you begin. I hope this would give the option for both views/styles of gameplay.

By the way I still think that european civs should know the most part of the starting tech tree and they should research only complicated/advanced techs while early techs like carpentry/iron working etc. would be important for natives, so technology mod would be cool to integrate with a "play as natives" mod.

Click to expand...

Although I do agree it would be cool, the play as the natives part is a bit beyond the current scope. Perhaps it would be as easy as making them major-civs, and give them the options as everyone else. Something to keep in mind when we get to that point.

xxhe-

xxhe said:

If the techtrees are different, then a serious problem is that how to make the tech trading system (for example, how could one know that he has bought a tech that are not existed on his own techtree?). So IMO, if one can see others' techtree, he can know what techs he has already bought and what's the function of those techs he bought.

Click to expand...

Would it be better if the unique techs that would be available to only that civ would just appear in the tech-list at the appropriate spot. I just got done with setting the Tech-Advisor to be as easily modified as Civ 4 (with the and's and or's doing what they are supposed to do) so it would not be hard to add one.

About seeing it, the best spot would prob be in the diplomacy screen so when you are normally trading it would show up like a normal tech so you know that person has it. When it comes to trading. Also a unique Tech would have to show up in the Civopedia/Empire paragraph you see at the start of the game, just like any unique unit or building would.

I am not sure how the trading of unique techs would work, but to just deny it would not be as fun as the deals people could make for it... So if they make it in then they would be able to be traded.

This idea is too difficult to make in the original CIV4 because there are soooo many civs in it. While in Col, only 4 countries (or 5 if count in natives) exist, so it may be practicible.

After all, it's only an idea, generated by your image. Hope you may find it applicable.

Click to expand...

I fully agree, and am currently working on flushing out the techs, is there any ideas you have for these Unique techs?


Edit: Almost forgot to add... the idea of 'rushing' a tech with gold... is a good one not to be missed, but it should not be the normal way of getting techs from start to finish, unless someone makes it their specific goal

For an update, I am currently working on creating the Techs for each category, taking buildings,Professions,Yield of resources, etc into consideration.

Anyone have any suggestions on what 'must!' go in there, this is the best time. It will be very possible to add techs in later of course, but I am hoping to get started on the actual Technology learning, and implementing what the techs actually do.

The Tech-Screen is done to the point where it works just like Civ4 in the ways I could think of (Including placing techs, and categories, pictures, and/or requirements etc..).

I will put up some screen-shots once I get some techs to fill it

Hey dude. I had a good long post typed up with lots of detailed information about the meaning of life, cure to cancer, and a great tribble repelent... but the internet ate it and its to late to retype it all.

But, I will post you the link to the BtS API. It isn't for Colonization, but most of the none game specific functions are still the same.

For the post eating... its always the ones right before we call it a night that are the hardest to keep heh.

But, thanks for the link it actually helped me narrow down a problem I was having. I am trying to color my panels when someone selects them, and have been using setPanelColor()

The problem is it takes INT's for RGB, the problem is the only way I have found of getting a RGB value is with getColorInfo() which returns a float 0.0-1.0. I tried to multiply it by 255 then convert it to an int.... and that didn't work (Well it did, but the colors it returned wasn't the color # I put in)... I am also looking into HSV to RGB conversion, but I am not sure if it is even the same thing..



If I can't find an answer to how to get these int values I need to either:

A) Find a program that lets me chose a color and gives me a RGB value.
B) Delete the panel, and redraw it with the correct color Since then I can just use the color by name.
C) Figure out a conversion system

But, good news.... I changed the Tech Advisor a little .. You should be getting a link to those new files.. Let me know what you think.