[BNW] how to change xml or lua values on mac? (pls help)

[Lagsh171]

I have been trying to figure this out for a while now. I have roamed through this forum for hours on end, trying to figure out how to mod a game on mac. Could someone please give me step by step instructions or something lke that? Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[beetle]

I know it doesn’t seem like you should have to slog through a 40 page thread on Installing Mods on Civ5 for Mac but that might be what it takes, sorry to say. Yes, even now that the MODS button is enabled by default, and you would be correct to think that was the focus of that thread, modding a game on Mac remains fraught with newbie traps. That thread has examples of everything that can go wrong, and @AlanH working folks through their difficulties.

TLDR version:

• You need a text editor (and not a word processor). If you don’t know the difference, read that thread.
• You need to know the file name and path, and be okay with the fact that Mac OS is doing its part to simplify the UI and file management. If this makes little sense, then read that thread, sorry.
• You need to be pretty sure about whatever trivial you thing you are trying to change.
  • I could, for example, walk you through changing a setting so that cities are four tiles apart instead of three. Or that settling on plains lets you build the Stone Works.
• You can’t change the game much with only a Mac. That perk is only for Windows users.

 

[Lagsh171]

Thanks for the reply. But as I scrolled through the thread, it seemed like almost all of the problems were about how to install mods from the workshop on a Mac (which I have already mastered), not actually modding the game itself. Am I missing something?

Anyways, what I was hoping to mod was some city-state names, some Civ/Leader names, allowing city states to get wonders, increasing the max amount of religions to 8, and getting certain civs to start with certain religions. I know, I may be asking for too much, but it would still be great if you or somebody else could navigate me through even just one of these! If you can't mod these on a mac, let me know, but thanks again for helping me.

 

[beetle]

The main file with easy-to-change settings is GlobalDefines.xml. Make a copy before messing with it!
The easiest way to find it is, with Civ running, right-click and pick Options -> Show in Finder. Then right click -> Show Package Contents.
From there, Contents -> Assets -> Assets -> Gameplay -> XML
There is both so much more, and so much less, than you would expect!
That XML folder also has folders with names like Civilizations and Leaders, so those I would expect to allow you to change CS and leader names (not that I have tried that myself).
I do not think there is any way to uses those files to change religion in the ways you describe.
There is a (mac compatible) map editor that lets you set a game up to start civs with religions, but that is a fiddly one-game-at-a-time approach rather than a mod per se.

 

[Lagsh171]

Thanks! Sorry for the late response btw...I have been surprisingly busy during the quarantine! I'll do this and ask if I am having any problems. And do you know where this mac compatible map editor is? That could be fun to play around with.

 

[beetle]

The map editor I used, I think, goes by a mode of the name IGE (In Game Editor). It was very tedious because you have these tool bars that clearly should be palettes, but end up chewing up so much of window so you can’t get a good view of the map. I think the Windows folks might have a stand-alone utility for map building. The last time I tried IGE, it seemed to me it wasn’t working, but I gave up very quickly.