How do unit graphics get upgraded? (Like Workers)

[DJ_Izumi]

I wanted a more modern infantry in the game for later. But really, Mechanized Infantry are modern troops, using APCs to move them about, we only see the Icon of an M-2 Bradly though.

Still, you see these WWI era troops still in use in modern combt. Bang, click, bang, click, bang.

Workers have their images upgraded upon a specfic techonological discovery. Does anyone know how to have Infantry upgrade? Perhaps upon the discovery of a certian tech, that they are only VISUALLY upgraded from WWI era troops to something more like Vietname era troops, or at modern 1990's style?

Just an idea, of a very minor change. ^^;

[pdescobar]

Workers, Settlers, Armies, and Leaders have their graphics change on ERA changes. My guess is that this is accomplished via PediaIcons.txt in PTW and simply with folder names in vanilla civ3. If you look at the PTW PediaIcons.txt, under the Unit Animation section you have:

#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Settler
Settler
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Settler_ERAS_Industrial_Age
Settler Modern Times
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Settler_ERAS_Modern_Era
Settler Modern Times
[...and later...]
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Leader_ERAS_Ancient_Times
Leader Ancient Times
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Leader_ERAS_Middle_Ages
Leader Middle Ages
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Leader_ERAS_Industrial_Age
Leader Industrial Ages
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Leader_ERAS_Modern_Era
Leader Modern Times

Note that the default Settler is used for ancient/middle ages and that there are explicit entries for industrial and modern eras. And, if you look closely you will see that the industrial and modern entries both point to the "Settler Modern Times" animation -- so there are really just 2 flavors of this unit. Meanwhile the Leader has a different look for every era.

So, in theory, you could do something like this:

#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Infantry
Infantry
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Infantry_ERAS_Modern_Era
Marine

And when you enter the modern age, all your infantry will look like marines. I haven't actually tested this, but the logic is sound If anyone has a correction or addition to the process, please say so.

You are correct, however, in assuming that this is a strictly graphical change. They will still have all the stats and abilities of a standard infantry. If you want a unit change, you'd have to create a new unit and manually upgrade them at a barracks just as happens now when moving from, for instance, Rifleman to Infantry.

[pdescobar]

Just whipped up a quick test to confirm the method. Yep, that's all you need. The above addition to pediaicons.txt results in the infantry switching to the marine graphic once you hit the modern era:

[DJ_Izumi]

Nope, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Only because the little WWI guys with their British helmets look sorta silly as they tend to stay in the game all the way threw.

So I'll set mine so that in the modern era, the Infantry units are replaced with this cute little guy.

[DJ_Izumi]

Er, this guy. :\

[Der PH]

But how do you change the units_32-icon? The units only have one entry in the editor's unit-list, even if the graphics are updated during an era-change.

[zulu9812]

from the bottom of the PTW pediaicons.txt:

# Era-Specific Unit icons
#UNITICON_PRTO_Settler_ERAS_Industrial_Age
72
#UNITICON_PRTO_Settler_ERAS_Modern_Era
72
#UNITICON_PRTO_Worker_ERAS_Industrial_Age
73
#UNITICON_PRTO_Worker_ERAS_Modern_Era
73
#UNITICON_PRTO_Leader_ERAS_Middle_Ages
66
#UNITICON_PRTO_Leader_ERAS_Industrial_Age
67
#UNITICON_PRTO_Leader_ERAS_Modern_Era
68
#UNITICON_PRTO_Army_ERAS_Middle_Ages
69
#UNITICON_PRTO_Army_ERAS_Industrial_Age
70
#UNITICON_PRTO_Army_ERAS_Modern_Era
71

[Tacit_Exit]

This is great news!
Power to pdescobar for testing.
Any suggestions for a Modern Guerilla graphic?

[LouLong]

Utahjazz "FARC" for modern guerilla ?

[Der PH]

Originally posted by zulu9812
from the bottom of the PTW pediaicons.txt:

Thanx, Zulu!

[thestonesfan]

Great idea, guys! It's a wonder no one has brought this up yet.

It would be really great if you good do it by tech, though. Have WW1 infantry morph into WW2 infantry with motorized transport, or something.

[Colonel Kraken]

Originally posted by thestonesfan
Great idea, guys! It's a wonder no one has brought this up yet.

It would be really great if you good do it by tech, though. Have WW1 infantry morph into WW2 infantry with motorized transport, or something.

Yes, I totally agree. I wish you could do it by tech.

No one here has really brought it up (at least not for a very long time), but I've been doing it for a long time now.

[Mephansteras]

Hmm...neat effect. I'll have to work that in somehow.

[Grandmaster]

Somebody should do era-specific King units for PTW, so that Caesar isn't wearing a toga in the Modern Ages and Bismarck isn't dressed in uniform in the ancient era.... great job pdescobar for figuring this out.

[DJ_Izumi]

Don't I get any credit for beinging it up?

[zulu9812]

pdescobar wasn't even the first, and it is pretty obvious

[Redking]

Thanks guys. I was planning to ask just these questions.

I'm hope to use this technique for upgrading the graphics for barbarians, advanced barbarians, and barbarian ships.

Of course, unit stats will not change with the animations, but for simple barbarians I don't see that as so much a problem.

[pdescobar]

Originally posted by zulu9812
pdescobar wasn't even the first, and it is pretty obvious

That's right zulu, squash my brief moment of glory Seriously, though, zulu is right -- I'm sure many were using this long before I figured it out, I just happened to be the first to answer the question when DJ_Izumi asked. I'm glad it was brought up though since I was looking for a way to add in a bunch of new unit animations recently and had forgotten about this feature.

[Procifica]

Is there a way to do something like this in the regular Civ 3 game?

[pdescobar]

Originally posted by Procifica
Is there a way to do something like this in the regular Civ 3 game?

Regular civ3 doesn't use ANIMNAME entries and instead (I believe) relies on folder names for units exactly matching their unit names. So, to use the same example, making an infantry take marine graphics in the modern age,

1. go into your civ3 units folder and create a new folder called "Infantry Modern Times".
2. Copy the Marine.INI from the Marine folder into this new folder and rename in "Infantry Modern Times.INI"
3. Edit this new INI file and change all the entries which point to a file to point to the files in the marine folder. Example:
   

   DEFAULT=MarineDefault.flc
     becomes
   DEFAULT=..\Marine\MarineDefault.flc

This time, I actually tested it before I answered, so that does work

However, I have no idea how to change the build queue icon in vanilla civ3 as my vanilla PediaIcons.txt does not have the final section that PTW has which zulu posted earlier.