Mods keep crashing... why?

[Inquisition]

Every time I try to modify units, the changes take fine in the editor, but then whenever the units are actually produced in the game, it crashes.

Anyone else seen this before?

Is there something I'm screwing up??

[Thunderfall]

How do you modify the units in the first place? Aren't the units in those FLC files?

[A&A Gamer]

Same problem. I have even tried to change in the Civilopedia adding the units and it continues to crash!

1. Change in Editor with units--Added
2. Change (add) in Civilopedia
3. Go into game try to build unit--then page fault error in civilization 3.exe
4. Contiued Crashes--same as Inquisition


WHAT AM I MISSING?????

[Inquisition]

I've tried it with both custom scenarios and random gen maps and still get same thing, whenever I produce the unit I get crashed. Same exact error, regardless of which unit I try to edit (I've done it with *lots* of units, just to see if the problem was isolated or universal...)

Still no results. Still crashes.

[Inquisition]

Originally posted by Thunderfall
How do you modify the units in the first place? Aren't the units in those FLC files?

You can modify the units in the rules editor, in the Units tab. Be sure to back up your civ3mod.bic first though... because (as previously mentioned) mine crashes every time I change a unit.

[Inquisition]

Ok ... here goes.

Apparently the only thing you cannot do with the units in the rules editor is rename them.

This is apparently due to the huge pile of files that still remain with the wrong name, in the Art\Units\<unit> folder... including the FLC files.

The FLC files are frame-by-frame movement of each unit, but not the actual statistics of that unit. However, these are necessary to animate the unit, and while they are given under the wrong name, the game engine does not know how to find them... which explains why the game doesn't crash until the renamed unit in question is produced (thus it then needs to be animated...)

Any type of modification can be made on the unit's information and statistics in the editor, like traits (I.E. move all spaces as road), prerequisites (such as Iron Working), attack & defense, bombard, the ability to bombard, etc etc..

If you don't change the name of the unit, you can do practically anything to it as long as you don't try to make something ridiculous that the game doesn't know how to handle (such as a knight that can walk on water ... I tried that ... hahahaha.)

Here is how to do it: (Holy Knights being my example, for my new Fundamentalist government... and no, it's not a super-cheese kill-everything like fanatics were in Civ2):

If you create a folder in the Art\Units directory named after the new unit name you want... (I.E. Art\Units\Holy Knight)

Then make copies of all the files inside the directory of the original unit you're renaming (I.E. Knight)

Paste those files into the Holy Knight directory and change all the instances of Knight to Holy Knight.

Open the Knight.ini (which you should have renamed to Holy Knight.ini!

Change all instances of Knight to Holy Knight.

This theory has been tested now... and works.

So have fun! :crazyeyes

[AspenDruid]

Just a little bit less work, according to the CivIIIEdit Help docs (as well as in practice) you only need to change the folder name and the .ini file's name. The rest of the stuff you can leave alone as long as it matches what's in the .ini file.

Changing EVERYTHING is more accurate, but not neccessary.

[GIDustin]

How do you guys figure this stuff out? Do you just open random files and read them? hehe

Thanks i have been having this same problem with my Spanish Galleon.

[AspenDruid]

Well, the above thing that I posted comes from actually reading the Civ3Edit Help file that came with it. Were you aware you could click on the parts of the pictures and find out what they do? If you click on the 'rename' button of units it tells you this.

However, if you've ever done any programing stuff like that becomes more and more common scence. The .ini is just the file that tells the program where to find anything else it needs. If you want to name your file "queenofegyptrules.wav" and then set that sound to the victory option, you would have VICTORY = queenofegyptrules.wav under the [Sound Effects] tag. .ini files have been around for generations, and their principles have not changed, however programmers are becoming more and more creative with what they are being used for.

Some other things I find out through trial and error. One unit I tried to create always crashed every time it was made. Then I realised that all the ground units were either foot movement, wheeled or mounted. I changed my unit to foot and I never had a problem with it again!

Having problems with a galleon? Copy one of the water units so you have the right animations. You'll need to click turns to attack, otherwise your unit will look like its attacking the air next to it. You'll also likely need Ranged attack animation, this prevents the computer from moving the units into the same square to trigger combat like it does for melee units like warriors and hopilites. You may or may not want to set sink in sea or sink in ocean depending on how late you think it gets out. Note - if you set sink in sea set sink in ocean too, otherwise it'll be fine in both coast and ocean squares. I found that out the hard way when playing against the computer =).

How did I find this out? By studying all the sea ones that came with the game. Learn by example.