Electronic Billboards, Terrain and Work Files January 25, 2011

These are Electronic Billboards, a New Impassable Terrain and Work Files to be able to make your Animated Own Signs. The Billboard Units are Probably the most simple but Effective Units made that only use 5 Colors so you have almost an entire Palette that you can use to make what you want.

I needed these Billboards for EFZI2 Complete so naturally they have Zombie type Statements but I included Work Files and extras so anyone can have the Billboards say what they want... or use to make many different types of Electronic Signs that could be used in modern games with Cities.

The Impassable Terrain works visually to show an Impassable area where the Billboards can be placed with included settings that stop the AI from ever bothering them in any way. No Health Bar or Move Ball will be seen, only the Billboards on the Impassable Terrain.

You can get the Zip File here

In Game ScreenShot segment:
Shows Impassable Terrain with the Cinema Billboard



Civilopedia Images:


Cinema Billboard Default and Fidget:


Community Billboard Default and Fidget


These are Immobile Animated Billboards.
No Attack, Death or Run.
Best when placed on Impassible Terrain.

Recommended Settings:
Unit Statistics: Move 1, All other settings 0
Unit Abilities: Immobile, Radar
Available To: None. Pre-place unit on your Map on Impassible Terrain
so the Unit will not be bothered.
Standard Orders: Skip Turn and Fortify if you only give this unit to an Enemy AI.
The AI does Not tend to Fortify this Unit so Fortify would be for the Human Player.
All Other Settings: None
With the above settings, The Unit will will not be destroyed until the CIV who owns it is Destroyed.

Included Files:
Cinema Billboard:
Civilopedia CinemaBillboardLarge.pcx and CinemaBillboardSmall.pcx
Alt_CinemaBillboardLarge.pcx
CinemaBillboard_units_32.pcx
Adjusted .ini file,
Animations (flcs): CinemaBillboardDefault.flc and CinemaBillboardFidget.flc
Sounds: No Sounds
Extra: DawnOfTheDead_CinemaBillboard.flc and NightoftheZombies_CinemaBillboard.flc

Community Billboard:
Civilopedia CommunityBillboardLarge.pcx and CommunityBillboardSmall.pcx
Alt_CommunityBillboardLarge.pcx
CommunityBillboard_units_32.pcx
Adjusted .ini file,
Animations (flcs): CommunityBillboardDefault.flc and CommunityBillboardFidget.flc
Sounds: WarningSiren.wav for the Fidget animation.

Extra marsh files:
marsh.pcx has a New Map Image I made for use as Impassible Terrain.
I call it "HWY. Dept. Stockpile".
You can copy and paste the Image anywhere on the File as needed and also adjust the Colors as desired.
Blank_marsh.pcx I included if Needed for use to create something new.
Note: You can make your own Civilopedia Impassable Terrain Images from the included Image on the Marsh File. I did not include the one I use in the zip file due to fitting only my Game.

Work Files:
Files can be used to make different signs and Electronic Billboards.
WideElectronicBillboard.flc... was not used but included if wanted.
1Work.pcx, 2Work.pcx, Extras.pcx, BlankStrips.pcx, WorkWithPopcorn.pcx all for use to create your own Electronic
Billboard with different words.
The Main Billboard only uses 5 Colors so the Palette can hold many more to make what ever you want.
Simple Cut N Paste was used with these work Files.

On Second Thought... I will upload the Impassable Terrain Civilopedia files in case they will help anyone to make the Images to fit the Background of their Game.

Large and Small Preview:


Zip File Here:

Very cool, thank you. Not sure how to use this yet, but I'm sure it will look great in EFZI.

Ares de Borg... I included work files so you can make it as you like... you can make a static Billboard sign or animated one to say what you want

Vuldacon, this is an ingenious idea. Congratulations!

May be this kind of immobile unit can also be used as replacement of goodyhuts in preset maps and you don´t have to use only impassable terrain. For example in my CCM worldmap I experiment with preset goodyhats where the normal goodyhat graphics are set to transparency and the barbarian unit graphic showing different cities or villages with a higher defense value than normal barbarians and therefore is on top of barbarian stacks.

Civinator... Yes indeed. Many ways to use the "tools" and information to gain more of what we personally want.

I realize most people do not need a Zombie Message on an Electronic Billboard so that is why I included files to enable different words for the Billboards. If one thinks about it all, there are many other things that can be made from this very simple unit.
I personally Like that the Health Bar and Move Ball never show for this Unit that is suppose to be a Structure and the AI cannot ever bother my Billboards so they are never covered and can be what I intended them for...just simple animated Billboards for use as "Eye Candy" and a little more realism in game

Very cool billboards! Ingenious as a matter of fact. A prop that displays messages! I'm interested in how you make the words. Use just a graphic program (PSP, etc)?

Tom... The Work Files are in the Zip. They are self explanatory and use Quick Cut n Paste technique.
I made a Grid then made the Letters on it so they would look more like the type of words on an Electronic Billboard.

It requires about 15 Minutes to make the Billboard say what ever you want.
You can even add other Images with Colors because the Palette only uses 5 colors for the Billboard and Green Letters.

IF an Attack is Desired... A weapon could be placed on the top corners of the Billboard for example. Generally it is best to keep the Billboard facing South, One Direction, so it is seen better and easier to read. If Words are not desirable, Images only could be used.
The same concept could be used to make other Signs for other situations... such as a Cinema Sign that has Lights surrounding it and blink around in a sequence, or Neon looking Lights that Glow Bright and Dim or spell out words or shapes, etc...

Edit: Thinking about your Post Tom... actually this is a Unit that functions is if it is a Non Unit that has no Health Bar or Move Ball and the AI does not Bother at all... so it can be used as a Structure that will not be destroyed until the CIV who owns it is destroyed
...Opens up New ideas for creative, artistic application to our Games.

If anyone wants to make different words ( No Doubt ) for the Billboard and has any questions about how to easily use the Work Files I included with these units and it is not evident as to how to use the files...let me know

I will post this for now:

To start... the exact Length of the included Strips are for a 64 Max Frame size Flc.
Edit: that Frame sie is 100 X 100 and 64 Frames, which is the mas length in Flicster. You can of course make the Length shorter as needed

Make the Words on the Grid Strip first. I used 3 pixels between Letters and 9 pixels between Words. Note that it does not matter if the Letters are always on the Lighter pixels...just use good spacing.

Make a Storyboard with all 64 Frames and add the Blank Billboard or simply generate a new Storyboard from the Originals then Remove the Green Words, easiest.

Use the included Frame to copy and paste from the start of the Strip to the end if desired, following the Blue indicator lines on the Solid Color Strip. You then Copy and Paste the inside of the Frame with Letters to the Storyboard. This is easy because you reverse the steps by going back in your Graphics Program and copying the frame as you go back so you can then paste it again on the next Blue indicator on the strip...see Image in thumbnail.

The Blue indicators also serve to let you see exactly where to paste the inside of the Billboard to your Storyboard...I use 400 to 500 Zoom in PSP to see clearly.

Add the Blue Color to your Storyboard so you will see it when you paste the New Inside of the Billboard using the Blue Indicators...this keeps the pasting Exact.

Use your Own judgement concerning spaces where you want more blank time in the animation.

When all is pasted on the storyboard...simply change open the palette and change the Blue Color back to Black as it was before.
You can make a New Palette as needed for any changes or additions.

These are too cool!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM!!

Thanks a Lot Gary

My intention is to provide inspiration and the "Tools" for others to create many Great Things for this Very easily MODDED Game.

Here is another example of a Fast and too easy addition:
Billboard Lights..., actually only 6 colors and 2 Frames duplicated to 10 Frames and set to 100 Flc speed for a 1 second animation.

Really, when we get past the Artistic aspect of creating things we must have some mathematical abilities because it is there

either a static image or animated image could be placed with the Billboard Lights for example... Use Creative thought and this could become many different Signs and animated additions

Billboard Lights:

Excellent units

Amazing stuff here Vuldacon ! And one more tutorial (kind of) ! What amazes me is that you managed to get rid of the health bar and the green dot that comes with it, and dealt with the AI so it won't bother with it. How did you do that ? (or is it a dumb question ?)
If you mentionned it in your work files, don't bother, I'll read in a few days, when I have more time.

I put capturable units as props in the scenarios I've been working on since last year, but as you can see in the pic, they all have the movement dot up top.

EDIT: Image removed. Nevermind, some of the capturable props did not have move dot. Some did.

Civinator said:

May be this kind of immobile unit can also be used as replacement of goodyhuts in preset maps and you don´t have to use only impassable terrain. For example in my CCM worldmap I experiment with preset goodyhats where the normal goodyhat graphics are set to transparency and the barbarian unit graphic showing different cities or villages with a higher defense value than normal barbarians and therefore is on top of barbarian stacks.

Click to expand...

This works, just make sure you have the barbs set with King ability so they are on bottom, and the prop graphic as non-king, so it's always on top. But, you need to rename them in editor or they start game with leader name (but since they are barbs and have no leader, they start with blank name). In fact, you can even have the barb graphic as some sort of treasure-looking resource, so once you defeat the barbs, it shows for a sec before it disappears (I think it works).

Really cool units!!

Interesting posts here you guys... Perhaps after 10 Years of work we will have more "Breakthroughs" that allow more creative additions that we can all benefit from

themanuneed... yes the settings in the Read Me Files will show you the way.
IF a Unit has no Attack or Defense and cannot Move and the AI has no real Strategy for the Unit... it does not exist for the AI so to speak... the Health Bar and Move Ball on top do Not Show because the Unit cannot be hurt, destroyed or Moved... that simple

This allows us to have "units" that function as Structures... and that I like, even if only for Units that are really intended to be structures for esthetic additions to provide more realism

I will say that it is important to have such units on Impassable Terrain to absolutely prevent the AI from covering them by moving to the same tile. That said, There are many other settings that can be used to gain what is wanted even if the Immobile Unit has an Attack, Bombardment or Zone of Control.

I think of it all this way... Rather than trying to "get around the AI"... understand what is programed and Prevent it with creative approaches to gain the end result we want. Like Impassable Terrain that No One can go to Period...No Guesses or Hopes, it is that way.

All a Manipulation and an Illusion but one must ask ones self... is this Great because I found a way to gain what I want or because it is desired by many others

Vuldacon said:

I think of it all this way... Rather than trying to "get around the AI"... understand what is programed and Prevent it with creative approaches to gain the end result we want. Like Impassable Terrain that No One can go to Period...No Guesses or Hopes, it is that way.

Click to expand...

I think I've been advocating that for some time.

This really is an extraordinary idea - something I will have a lot of use for, along with Tom's new "cinema" billboards. Also gave me an excuse to google "hacked road signs" for a few giggles. To that end, I note that most of them have a few orange barrels at their base. I made some orange barrels (barricades) for the Manhattan terrain that might be used with this, perhaps...

If anyone does some regular road messages, i.e., "heavy traffic ahead" or "speed limit 55" or somesuch, I'd appreciate that they be posted.

Really this is a great idea. You could make some more animated terrain for scenarios

Sure... If, for example, a Waterfall, Fountain with Lights, Signs, etc... are wanted, they could be made to fit any terrain they are wanted for. Impassible Terrain can be made along with the animated Unit to go together and fit the personal Game where they are used.

It is always important to make these types of "units" to fit the Terrain Map they will be placed on for best results.

I guess these are just

*sunglasses*

a sign of the times.