AdvCiv Cultural (modmod)

[DeepWell]

Hello! This modmod pack is supposed to make each civ feel more unique and improve some graphics.

AdvCiv Cultural full (212MB):
https://mega.nz/file/mMRFUCza#He1rikE3Gxm1PYptUQL7eQOf2wlRsvOs72VMgPD87Bg

AdvCiv Cultural lite (without added music) (43MB)
https://mega.nz/file/rBBTUZLb#jLDW3m2_-JRDRf_iDVx9FCARduhjt_tGX8jNj3LWe18

Featuring:
- Ethnic Units
- Ethnic Artstyles for cities and improvements
- Added 1-3 UUs/UBs per civ. Many are shared between 2 civs. Those are not as strong as the original UUs/UBs but should make some thematic difference.
- Added more music (full version). Removed some medieval choral music and one annoying (at least for me) ancient music piece. (Thanks to Civ4 Reimagined for the idea!)

Install:
Unzip the file
Move/copy to: ...Beyond the Sword/Mods

Based on AdvCiv v1.10
I have revised the ethnic artstyles for this mod.
This is version 0.9 and I'm planning to still polish the mod more but that will probably take long-ish time.

Any questions, feedback and suggestions are welcome and bugs and clear imbalances will be fixed asap.

 

[f1rpo]

Edit: (These issues have been resolved.)

Spoiler :

I[n]stall:
Unzip the file
Move/copy to: ...Beyond the Sword/Mods

This goes on top of an AdvCiv install, quite apparently (the full package at least didn't include most of AdvCIv). A bit hard to say how to best install it in parallel to AdvCiv – because the folder name has to be "AdvCiv" for both. It can be changed, but will then also have to be changed in the file name of the mod's INI and in Assets\XML\Art\CIV4ArtDefines_Misc.xml and (twice) in Resource\Civ4.thm. And maybe also in TXT_KEY_REPLAY_PREFIX in Assets\XML\Text\CIV4GameText_advc.xml. Perhaps best to just rename both folders and change the name of one of them to "AdvCiv" only right before playing.

I've just checked the files that AdvCiv 1.11 will modify ("Files changed" tab, here, "66 changed files") – no conflicts so far, so this mod-mod should remain compatible.

A small issue: Copying the whole Civ4GameTextInfos_Objects.xml from the base game clashes with a few changes to texts from that file in AdvCiv's game text files. Priority will probably come down to the order in which the files are processed and, if that's in alphabetic order, then I expect that the old texts will win out. Would probably be best to keep only the modified text keys, i.e. TXT_KEY_UNIT_AZTEC_JAGUAR, TXT_KEY_UNIT_MACEMAN, TXT_KEY_UNIT_HORSE_ARCHER, TXT_KEY_BUILDING_COLOSSEUM (deleted? edit: no, just moved, I see) and the additional keys (Special Units).

[...] and one annoying (at least for me) ancient music piece.

Number 2, that's the one with a lot of (verbal) vocals, I believe, sounding something like "one niiiight" at one point. Probably a favorite for some, but I find it annoying too (replaced it in my Civ 4 installation long ago).

Your opening music sounds pleasant, soothing, quite the contrast to Baba Yetu. The units look nice in the Pedia. Just quickly started a game with the Celts – since those have a Unique Warrior, the Warband. Ah, but they start with a Scout. Probably in the best interest of balance. Anyway, seems to work fine, 3D model appears (so long as animations aren't set to frozen) – slight variation from the original Warrior, effects show up at least in help text. Thanks for sharing!

Edit: Link added to end of the opening post of the AdvCiv thread.

Spoiler :

Mod-mods: @keldath's Dawn Of The Overlords (Remastered) is based on AdvCiv 1.10 and @spqkfk's Advanced Civ Plus on AdvCiv 1.08. @DeepWell's Ethnic Artstyles pack is easy to install on top of any recent version of AdvCiv. The AdvCiv Cultural mod expands on this by adding more Unique Units; based on AdvCiv 1.10.

 

[DeepWell]

This goes on top of an AdvCiv install, quite apparently (the full package at least didn't include most of AdvCIv). A bit hard to say how to best install it in parallel to AdvCiv – because the folder name has to be "AdvCiv" for both. It can be changed, but will then also have to be changed in the file name of the mod's INI and in Assets\XML\Art\CIV4ArtDefines_Misc.xml and (twice) in Resource\Civ4.thm. And maybe also in TXT_KEY_REPLAY_PREFIX in Assets\XML\Text\CIV4GameText_advc.xml. Perhaps best to just rename both folders and change the name of one of them to "AdvCiv" only right before playing.

Right! I made a mistake there because the plan was that my modmod could be installed as a separate mod. I decided to prepare both versions so that they include the original AdvCiv and edited the referred files (Resource\Civ4.thm, Assets\XML\Art\CIV4ArtDefines_Misc.xml, Assets\XML\Text\CIV4GameText_advc.xml).

A small issue: Copying the whole Civ4GameTextInfos_Objects.xml from the base game clashes with a few changes to texts from that file in AdvCiv's game text files. Priority will probably come down to the order in which the files are processed and, if that's in alphabetic order, then I expect that the old texts will win out. Would probably be best to keep only the modified text keys, i.e. TXT_KEY_UNIT_AZTEC_JAGUAR, TXT_KEY_UNIT_MACEMAN, TXT_KEY_UNIT_HORSE_ARCHER, TXT_KEY_BUILDING_COLOSSEUM (deleted?) and the additional keys (Special Units).

This I don't exactly understand. I believe I copied from AdvCiv. What kind of error that brings about?

Uploaded the new files with the original AdvCiv included as base.

 

[f1rpo]

Ah, I see, that'll make installation easier. Given the file size of the art assets, I guess there's really no point in not including all the AdvCiv files. Well, providing only the new and modified files would make it unnecessary to update the download when I update AdvCiv, but that's the only small advantage I can think of.

This I don't exactly understand. I believe I copied from AdvCiv. What kind of error that brings about?

There's no CIV4GameTextInfos_Objects.xml in AdvCiv. It looks like a copy from the base game. For example, I've renamed "Submarine" to "Nuclear Submarine" through TXT_KEY_UNIT_SUBMARINE in Civ4GameText_advc.xml and your Civ4GameTextInfos_Objects.xml also contains TXT_KEY_UNIT_SUBMARINE, with the old name, i.e. "Submarine". However, if I actually load your mod and check in the Civilopedia, it does say "Nuclear Submarine", hm. I thought that game text files did not act as replacements of the original game's files of the same name, i.e. that both versions would get loaded regardless of the name. But that doesn't seem to be true: If I delete most of the texts in your Civ4GameTextInfos_Objects.xml, they no longer appear in the game. And I guess your file replacing one of the original files makes it so that all the game text files with new names (e.g. Civ4GameText_advc.xml) take precedence over yours – which is nice. One could argue that using a new file name and putting only the modified texts in that file would make it easier to see your changes at a glance, but I don't really want to make that case. There doesn't seem to be a problem with your approach after all. And I see now that you've renamed Colosseum to Arena (and introduced TXT_KEY_BUILDING_ROMAN_COLOSSEUM in addition).

 

[black_rider]

Hey, i just started playing with your mod, and I see that new Celtic unit which is called Warband, use for production food and hammers, just like settler or worker. Is that intentional or this is some kind of bug ?

 

[DeepWell]

That is intentional. Though I don't know how well it fits for the game. I figured it's not a big deal (for better or for worse) anyway because Warbands (Warriors) are not around for long.

 

[black_rider]

Another thing that I find, Mayan special unit, the Atlatl, has exactly the same statistics as the Archer, which it replaces.

 

[DeepWell]

Yes. Atlatl costs a bit less to produce than the Archer.

 

[black_rider]

Yes. Atlatl costs a bit less to produce than the Archer.

I think not, but I'm not with PC right now, so I cannot check it, but I think that it has the same production cost like an archer

 

[black_rider]

Also, can you please point me which files you modmod change from the orginal AdvCiv mod ? I want to play with your mod (great music selection ), but also want to update to version 1.11 of AdvCiv.

 

[DeepWell]

Spoiler modmod edited files: :

Assets:
Art:
Interface:
Main Menu:
-beyond_the_sword_main_menu

XML:
Art:
-CIV4ArtDefines_Building
-CIV4ArtDefines_Misc
-CIV4ArtDefines_Unit
-CIV4MainMenus
Buildings:
-CIV4BuildingInfos
-Civ4CityLSystem
-CIV4PlotLSystem
Civilizations:
-CIV4CivilizationInfos
-CIV4UnitArtStyleTypeInfos
Text:
-CIV4GameText_advc
-CIV4GameTextInfos_Objects
Units:
-CIV4UnitInfos
-GlobalTypes

-Cultural_Citystyles.FPK
-Special_Units.FPK

Resource:
-Civ4
-Civ4Theme_Common

EDIT:
Forgot the music files

Spoiler Music files :

Assets:
Sounds:
Soundtrack:
*audio folders and tracks*
XML:
Audio:
-Audio2DScripts
-AudioDefines
GameInfo:
-CIV4EraInfos

Also I'm planning to update and make some improvements to this mod but that may take a long time.

 

[black_rider]

Thank you very much !

 

[black_rider]

So I can just copy your files over AdvCiv version 1.11 and it should work ?

 

[DeepWell]

A quick glance to the new update (AdvCiv 1.11) suggests that, yes, you can just copy the modmod specific files over and it will be fine. I do think the modmod folder name should still be AdvCiv Cultural to avoid naming related errors.

 

[f1rpo]

Civ4GameText_advc.xml seems to be a conflict. If AdvCiv Cultural really only changes TXT_KEY_REPLAY_PREFIX in that file, then it should be fine to just use the v1.11 version when merging.

 

[DeepWell]

TXT_KEY_REPLAY_PREFIX is the only part that has been changed. So, use AdvCiv 1.11 (Civ4GameText_advc.xml) file for that?

Anyway, I have changed it like so:

So that there wouldn't be any conflicts with the mod naming.