A Simplified Rhye's Mod - Help?

[OzzyKP]

So I'm setting up a large Pitboss diplogame over at Apolyton. We currently have 16 players and are hoping to get up to 17 or 18. We want to play on an Earth map, and I can think of none better than Rhye's. However when thinking of how to balance the civs I keep coming back to the realization that Rhye's mod is very much connected with the map.

Marshes, and late chopping of jungle, and increased ship movement, ability to build cities close to each other, etc. All these changes really make this map workable and accurate, so I'd like to incorporate them all into this game. I've tried using the regular RFC mod in Pitboss and can't get it to work. But I'm thinking if we stripped out all the python and other fancy bits from the code that it'd work.

So I'm hoping for help in doing that.

Just now I went in with a hacksaw and clumsily deleted the python folder, CvGameCoreDLL folder, and CvGameCoreDLL.dll. I was amazed that the mod loaded up fine and I was even able to load up a game without any errors. Once I got into the game though I got a "you have been defeated" message.

I feel like my ham handed cuts were mostly effective and that I'm close to making this work. Any suggestions/help?

 

[Baldyr]

So what you basically ended up with was the WBS file and the XML. Both of these should contain non-regular contents, as RFC is nothing but a regular map. The things you mention - additional terrain types, city placement settings - should all be in the XML, so you basically need to look into the other stuff - like Civs. Because you wanna launch the game at 4000 BC, right? So the XML entries for all available Civs should be in order. (They might already be, but I wouldn't count on it.)

But there might also be other XML entries you'd wanna get rid of. Like changed units or buildings, or new Wonders. So you could probably do some cleanup in the XML also.

Finally, you might have to place starting units for all Civs/Players on the map. (I know Rhye uses some way of reviving and killing off Civs at key points during a turn, to achieve the historical starting dates. But a Civ with no units and no cities in a regular game of Civ is of course dead - or "defeated" as the game will tell you.) You can do this directly by editing the WBS. Look in the Modiki for reference.

 

[OzzyKP]

Ok, I'll give that a shot. I'm going through the buildinginfo.xml file now. If I can convince the others in the game, I'd like to keep Rhye's wonders and building changes, I think the embassies especially would be great to have. I am throwing out unique powers and going back to leader traits. So I'm seeing that I need to re-add the production bonuses for buildings, which isn't too difficult to do.

Are there any references to the python in XML that might screw things up? I haven't found it yet, but I notice that the Triumphal Arch is in the building file, and that is triggered by UHV which is now removed. Anything else I should keep my eyes open for?

 

[Baldyr]

Yeah, some of the stuff in the XML would be connected to code in RFC. Like the embassies (which are controlled by the Communications.py file), so you need to get rid of those - and all references to them. Also, I think that there is a Plague building there somewhere!

Basically get rid of anything that isn't present in regular BTS. If I was a betting man I'd put my money on you not being able to convince a large group of people to play with anything than the standard set of rules. Perhaps you should also revert all unit XML in order to avoid complains from your fellow players...

 

[OzzyKP]

Ah darn, embassies use python? That's too bad, it would have been excellent to be able to keep those.

 

[Baldyr]

(I updated my post at the same time that you posted yours.)

Yeah, basically all functionality in RFC that isn't present in the original game was done with code (and I'm not counting XML as "code", its a mark-up language). Either C++ or Python - and you got rid of all of it. So you should probably delete just about all of the XML also, sans the terrain stuff and some city founding setting and the like. Also, the Tech values in the XML might be completely off... You should probably go through the entire GlobalDefines.xml file to spot any weird changes - or ones that you'd like to keep.

 

[OzzyKP]

Hmm, so I've been cutting and editing carefully, but it seems I somehow took out the thing that gives ships extra movement in deep ocean. Do you know where that is at?

 

[embryodead]

Rhye released his map separately, as a BTS 3.19 map w/ 18 players. I think that may be much easier to start with than trying to get the RFC one to work: http://rhye.civfanatics.net/pages/civ4-Earth-description.php With map + BTS XML, you try adding some RFC wonders to the XML.

 

[OzzyKP]

I'm using the map from the 1000 AD scenario Rhye did for BTS. Europe in RFC is too large for my purpose. Is that the same thing you are suggesting?

It isn't too difficult to set up, just a lot of cutting. I'm not really wedded to the RFC wonders, I'm sure the others I'm playing with won't like them anyhow. I've got everything very close to done already. Basically all I need at this point is to tweak everyone's starting locations (which isn't set yet, since we haven't finalized the number of players) and put in some marsh.

And, of course, figure out the ship movement issue. Everything else works just fine.

 

[Baldyr]

You need to use XML from RFC to include the Marsh terrain. Its actually a combination of a base terrain type, a terrain feature and a special resource... So you need all three XML files.

And I also think that the ship movement thing is in the terrain XML for ocean tiles, but I could be mistaken.

 

[OzzyKP]

Oh, by "put in" I meant, add it to the map in world builder. The code is just fine. And yea, I assumed the ocean movement thing would be in terrain info, but I don't see anything there. I see how I could rig it though if I wanted. I could double the movement points of all ships and then have coastal tiles take off two movement. But that doesn't seem as nice as how RFC does it.