Warlords to Vanilla retro mod

[Rathelon]

Ok, I'm just beginning to work on a mod to incorporate the basic changes from Warlords into Vanilla Civ4.

Why? Couple reasons: I dont like the fractal map generation in Warlords. It seems there are many more desert and flood plains tiles than the fractal maps in Vanilla. Also, I hate the mid to late game slowdown in Warlords. I always played huge maps in Vanilla with 10 or more civs and never had noticeable issues with slowdown, and I cannot do that anymore with Warlords.

But before I get too deeply involved in my project, just wanted to ask if anyone else has done, or is doing, a similiar project. I wouldnt want to waste time doing it if it's already been done, but if anyone else is working on a similiar thing we could perhaps help each other out.

 

[Dale]

Why not just run vanilla?

 

[Rathelon]

I wanted to add the changes from Warlords (new civs, new leaders, unique buildings, great generals, etc) to Vanilla. But I decided not to bother with it for now.

 

[zooropa86]

why not? please do

btw, there is another mod that incorporates only the XML changes i think. its called vanilla 2.08 patch mod or something.

 

[Osymandias]

well, you can do this mod for your private use i guess, but you are not alowed to release it. it would be a copyright-infringement (piracy), because people (who owns just vanilla) could play warlords without to have to buy it.

 

[Edgecrusher]

I think what he wants to do is make a mod for Warlords 2.08, that is basically Vanilla Civ4 + the changes in Warlords?

am I missing something?

 

[Rathelon]

No, I want to mod Vanilla with the Warlords changes.

And, no, I was not planning to release this mod - it was going to be for my personal use only since I own both versions of the game.

I am working on some of it. I think I can fairly easily do most of the modifications, except the great generals and vassal states. I really couldnt care less about vassal states, but I do like the great generals (and they are integral to the Imperialistic trait).

 

[Osymandias]

hm, why exactly will you mod the warlords expansion into your vanilla, when you just have to put in your warlords cd and play it?
for the fractal map: i thought mapscripts are working with both, warlords and vanilla? then the only thing you have to do would be to copy the vanilla fractal-script to your warlords assets-folder.
for the slowdowns: don't know, my performance was better with warlords.

 

[Dale]

Quite simply, what you ask is not possible. The vanilla SDK does not allow for new diplomacy deals to be made. Surrender and vassal states are such new deals that cannot be created.

There are heaps of minor changes that are in the Warlords exe that are not in the vanilla exe. These are impossible to add (unless you've illegally decompiled the exe files)

Personally, I don't see the point. Why bother spending 50 hours writing "warlords for vanilla" when you could've played 5 games through to space victory? Pointless.

Dale

 

[Rathelon]

The point is this: Yes, I could copy the fractal map script over to Warlords and my maps would be fine. But my favorite time periods are the industrial through modern ages, and in Warlords (with all these 'minor changes') the slowdown it causes makes these eras unplayable on huge maps with 10 or more civilizations.

I like playing HUGE maps. I like having 10 or more civs. These are things I had no problem doing in Vanilla, and now I cannot play these maps in Warlords during my favorite eras. Well, I could play them, but the amount of time I spend sitting and watching the wheel spinning I might as well spend that time modding the new units, buildings, and civs into Vanilla.

 

[Dale]

Have you tried custom game and changing the start era to modern? Maybe that will help you get your fix.

 

[Rathelon]

I've thought about doing that, but do like building up from ancient era. Feels weird to just begin right at industrial techs and skip all the old wonders and such.

What I've decided to do is just make myself a mod for Vanilla and incorporate some of the Warlords stuff, but not everything. Mostly just XML stuff, since I dont know how to do the Python coding. Wont be able to put in Great Generals or Vassal States, and probably no Great Wall either.

So far though, I put in triremes, trebuchets, stables, protective trait, and a modified imperialist trait. I also made all the changes to other units, civic upkeep costs, buildings, promotions, and wonders. I'm still going to add the unique buildings and some of the new civs and leaders (not all of them). These, of course, along with the old modifications I'd done like flags and mobile artillery and mobile SAMs.

I attempted to do the charismatic trait by adding the <iHappiness> and <iLevelExperienceModifier> tags to the TraitInfos and CivilizationsSchema, but it didnt work. Game started up fine, just the trait showed up with no bonuses. Probably something in the python I'd have to add. Seemed like they should work since they were both just integer tags.

Should be a fun learning experience.

 

[Dale]

There was new stuff added to traits not in vanilla which are in the SDK. Particularly for charismatic.

There's so much stuff added to warlords that you'll have to edit the vanilla SDK for, even in the xml stuff, new tags to be exact.

Honestly I don't think it's worth it at all. But, it's up to you.

Dale

 

[Kael]

In my experience all slowness in Civ4 comes from one of 2 places:

1. Errors. If you have made any mod changes turn on the python debugger and check your logs to see if any errors are popping up. They could be causing considerable slowness. Since Warlords seems to run at about the same speed to me as Vanilla Im wondering if this isnt what is going for you.

2. The graphics engine. For some reason the graphics engine is a dog, and Warlords has a lot more to display. But if this is your constraint and you backport the current units/buildings/etc to vanilla you may encounter the same slowness.

 

[Andreas*]

Quite simply, what you ask is not possible. The vanilla SDK does not allow for new diplomacy deals to be made.

after what i read about warlords thats the only really interesting sounding feature warlords has