Improved Graphics for CIV

[Chuggi]

[ DOWNLOAD ]

v2.0

This mod was designed for Beyond the Sword, but it is compatible with all versions of Civilization IV. It only modifies the base graphics (no new units, or civ diversity) and I've included an installation guide to help you install which features you would like to use.

It can easily be merged with mods like Varietas Delectat if you like, or you can place it in your custom assets making it available for all of your games.

I also recommend downloading the PerfectWorld mapscript as it generates more realistic land masses and terrain layouts than the default mapscripts.

• Improves terrain and ocean graphics.

The terrain is now a lot more detailed, and feels more realistic. Some of the resources have been updated as well. Unmodified screenshots are on the left, and the Improved Graphics screenshots are on the right.

• Improves some unit graphics.

I have included Millenia's hi-def infantry texture, and have improved some other units.

• Improves civlopedia graphics.

I have included seZereth's grassy viewport graphics, and have created new textures for the ocean and coastal viewports.

• Improves leaderheads to make them more realistic.

I have modified all of the leaders by fixing inaccuracies and adding more detail. For example, Bismarck is now wearing his correct uniform, Gandhi's head is a normal size for his body, and his skin is darker, and Caesar's robes are a better shade of Tyrian purple. I have also changed the default Washington model with the one from Colonization.

INSTALLATION GUIDE

Spoiler:

There are two ways to install this mod:

(1). This option will install the mod for all of your games. It will NOT overwrite anything important, unless you have CUSTOM graphics already installed in your CustomAssets folder.

- In your computer, find your "My Games" folder (it will be in your My Documents folder under your username). In the My Games folder you will find all the Civ IV games you have, open the one you want to install this mod to (for example, Beyond the Sword). Open the file you just downloaded (use winrar or 7-zip). You will find a folder called CustomAssets in the archive, extract it to the folder you just found before, overwriting everything (again, this isn't important stuff you're overwriting). Now, it should work perfectly for the expansion you installed it to - just run CIV and check out the new graphics.

- If you want to remove certain features (for example, you may not like the new Washington leaderhead) simply go into your CustomAssets folder, then the Art folder, and find "Washington" in the leaderheads folder and delete it. When you start up CIV you will have the old Washington leaderhead back.

- This applies to all of the features (units, resources, terrain etc.) They can all be removed by deleting the relevant files.



(2). Only use this option if you want the Improved Graphics as a separate mod. You will have to load the mod every time you want to play it ingame, or set the mod to automatically load every time. Find where you installed CIV (default, I think, is C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization IV) then go to your expansion folder (if you have an expansion) and find the "Mods" folder. Create a new folder here and call it Improved Graphics, or whatever. In this folder create a folder called "Assets". Now extract the ART and RES folders from inside the Custom assets folder inside the archive you downloaded, and extract it into the Assets folder you just created.

CREDITS

Credits to Firaxis, seZereth and Blue Marble. I've used their graphics to help me make the nicest terrain possible.

Also thanks to Millenia for his high-def infantry texture, The_Coyote for helping me reduce the size of the leaderhead buttons via python, asioasioasio for his invaluable button maker utility and R8XFT for diagnosing a CTD bug.

CHANGELOG

Spoiler:

2.0

- Fixes CTD with grid button.
- Fixes problem with the tundrablend.dds (thanks R8XFT)
- Fixes the alpha channel on Joao. (thanks ten_yen)
- Improves grass and plains using seZ's textures from Fury Road.
-Improves a lot of the detail textures, I have used some from Colonization and made some new ones for the grass and desert textures.
- Ocean and coastal tiles are now easier to differentiate.
- Adds a new variety of trees to the temperate areas.

1.2

- Improves some resource graphics.
- Updates some leaderheads skin tones.
- Some other minor updates.

1.1

- Fixes "coastal" viewport graphics in Civilopedia
- Changes plains terrain to make it easier to differentiate them from the grassland terrain.
- Some other minor updates.

[Chuggi]

Download is at the top of the page.

Spoiler for More Leaderheads:

[seZereth]

Nice work Chuggi, but I think people will complain about the hard to spot difference between grasland and plains.
(I had the same problem when working on my FfH terrain).

[woodelf]

Looks terrific Chuggi. Lots of subtle improvements there.

[hrochland]

Awesome, Chuggi, unfortunately it is not for my low graphic card

[Chuggi]

Originally Posted by seZereth

Nice work Chuggi, but I think people will complain about the hard to spot difference between grasland and plains.
(I had the same problem when working on my FfH terrain).

They are similar, but it just didn't look as good whenever I made it more yellow.

Originally Posted by hrochland

Awesome, Chuggi, unfortunately it is not for my low graphic card

Nope, not recommend if you're running CIV on the lowest graphics available, but then you shouldn't mind what it looks like.

In graphical terms, it doubles the size of most of the textures in game. So I recommend it if you're running CIV on top graphics and have no performance issues.

[hrochland]

Yes, Chuggi. My problem is on the reverse side of moon Today I was downloaded Blue Marble and I have plan rework it to the low graphics.
But your work is very good

[Chuggi]

Thanks.

If you resize the bluemarble textures to the same size as the original textures it should look better but run the same. You could also PAK it and put it in a mod to make it load faster.

[hrochland]

Yes. I wiil play with it

[ruff_hi]

This is impressive - well done. I was wondering if the water from colonization could be ported across to Civ.

[Chuggi]

Originally Posted by ruff_hi

This is impressive - well done. I was wondering if the water from colonization could be ported across to Civ.

Well, sort of. After a lot of tweaking it looks a lot like the water in Colonization, but unfortunately it's impossible to get the reflections to work without somehow porting the Colonization shaders over to Civilization.

[asioasioasio]

Awsome - 5 star job. I like especially new civilopedia graphics - i really hated old backgronds of units in civilopedia

[GeoModder]

This just screams out for an updated version of Ethnic Citystyles.

[Chuggi]

seZ, I decided to take your advice on the plains in the end.

Improved Graphics v1.1 Download.

Basically, this patch fixes one of the viewports in the Civilopedia, and it also makes the "plains" terrain easier to differentiate from the "grassland" terrain.

To install the patch, overwrite your CustomAssets folder with the one included in the download.

[avain]

Chuggi, my man, this is great!!!
Some really nice touches there!
Thanks very much!

[strategyonly]

I like these changes so much i am putting this in my MOD as a choice for the gamer to use or not to. Nice work.

Then on your installation guide i put on the top, "from the desktop of Chuggi."

[IgorS]

I've installed it and it is amazing. Colonization is a very important tool for modders of Civ4. I hope we will see more stuff for Civ 4 (especially the leaderheads) made with graphics from Colonization.

[thrallgor]

Great job on this

[The_Coyote]

awesome, looks absolut great (and i prefer the remade plains)

[Chuggi]

Originally Posted by IgorS

I've installed it and it is amazing. Colonization is a very important tool for modders of Civ4. I hope we will see more stuff for Civ 4 (especially the leaderheads) made with graphics from Colonization.

It shouldn't be too long before we see a BTS mod with the Colonization leaders in it, and some of the leaderheads perfected by ekmek, bernie, refar and amra.

Originally Posted by The_Coyote

awesome, looks absolut great (and i prefer the remade plains)

Thanks, I'm still not sure whether I like the first plains or the second plains better, but they're both available so it's up to the modders to choose which one they prefer.