Alexanders' Conquests Testing thread

[Keroro]

@ - dferrill - this is what I did, and what happened.

I made a folder in my hard disk called Test/Civilization III/Conquests/Scenarios, just so I can easily keep an eye on what is happening. Then I unzipped the AC V0-8.zip into Scenarios.

Then I unzip the Swordsman.zip into the AC v 1 00 file inside the Scenarios folder. Then the Triarii ini fixed.zip should go into the AC v 1 00/Art/Units/Triarii folder inside the Scenarios folder.

Then the AC v 0 90.zip needs to be unzipped into the Civilization III/Conquests folder.

Then you need to unzip the attached 0-91 patches.zip into the Civilization III/Conquests folder. When I checked the properties of the folder plus biq it showed up as 276 MB (289,517,348 bytes).

Then delete the Alexander's Conquests v0-8.biq. Then pull the AC v 1 00 folder and the biq into your real Civilization III/Conquests/Scenarios folder, start and play. I have tested it on my computer as a fresh install, and it worked fine.

I know the order and placement of the zips might be a bit confusing - the patches have been released in a rather disordered way, which is unavoidable when you're doing alpha testing as you go. If you try the instructions above and it doesn't work then either:
a - you're doing something wrong.
b - your computer works differently from mine.
c - it's another difference between Complete and Conquests.
Whichever way, if these instructions don't work then I'd advise you to wait for the next version.

@ - againsttheflow - If you want to enjoy the scenario then it would probably be better to wait for the next version since a lot of things don't work properly, though if you do play this one then do let me know what you think.

@ - Virote - Yes, Keroro is indeed.

 

[blitzkrieg80]

ok I would like to test out the scenario but am a little confused... Do I need all those patches you mentioned or just the one on your last post? Some of the posts which should have files do not?? Anyways, thanks!

 

[Keroro]

ok I would like to test out the scenario but am a little confused... Do I need all those patches you mentioned or just the one on your last post? Some of the posts which should have files do not?? Anyways, thanks!

There's been a lot of bug fixes as testers have come up with bugs, so the install is a little complex at the moment. I'm hoping to get a new version out (with just one download) within the next week or two, so if you can wait that long...

I'm hoping that the next version won't need nearly so many patches. It will just need the civpedia and biq to be updated occasionally.

 

[blitzkrieg80]

your post just before mine helps a lot... it was just a matter of tracking them all down- but i think some are less patient than me... keep up the good work!

 

[cemo1956]

Same as the Anno Domini....

Did this one died as well ????

Nothing has happend and the last was a promise of a new complete version to replace several patches....

 

[Keroro]

Hi Cemo. It's not dead, just late. I've added a lot more stuff to the game since the last release, and I've done a fair amount of testing. Hopefully I'll be able to get a new release out in September - I have some holiday time I have to take before the end of the year. Thanks for the interest.

 

[cemo1956]

with all the new fine units from Sparta, Hellenic and such just made I hope you dig into this mod once more....

 

[RedwallFortress]

Will people be able to play only Macedon, or will the other's Civs be playable also?

 

[CivChris]

weee
that was quite some task downloading and installing this
might add that the link on post 2 leads only to the download center and one would have to search for the file

but with the hepl of post 181 i finally made it!

to be honest i haven`t really played yet, but rather been messing with the map

i`ve been checking virotes ancient greek scenarios alpha latley
and found it really
since i`ve been altering that map a bit and virote refered to this scenario i wanted to check it as well and must say that it looks really great over all

checking the map i found that you missed the first of alexanders foundings:
Alexandreia kat'Isson (Iskenderun)
roughly located where you placed byblos.

as well, i would like to ask, if i could propose some landscape and cityplacement changes

since i`ve worked on this map in virotes scenario i found that some coastlines could be made to match more realistic, i know this is a map of a "map" actually, but i`m quite sure the inventiorous hellenics could be quite precise when it comes to maps.

i`ve already altered some of your really fine map, wich i find is one of the very very few with perfect scale for city and civ placement.

changed macedonian and greek coast

i sepecially like your "mine" graphics, they look like lil villages somehow and make with a fortress a perfect picture for occupied islands.

changed levante and the place for alexandreia kat`isson


parts of the redone western med


along with the changes there will be more cities... wich may not be that good (turntimes) and gameplay over all...
- the corinthian leage ends up with a lot more cities than before (mostly islands)
- carthage got about 4 more cities
- macedonia and thrace have more cities

as well if there would be a free civ slot found somewhere.... ( there was talk about adding cyrenica to egypt or crete to someone else or maybe unite crete and kyrenica)
i would plede for a "blacksea" greek civs, to represent the bosporian kingdom, bithynia, the future"pontus" and colchis, for those civs stayed mostly independent from fist persian and second alexandrian rule.
plus they would pose a block for scythia coming to far down.

since so many units are already preplaced the landscape changes take quite a while, wich leads me to the question of that anounced update
is it anywhere soon, for i`d if there are many changes coming that would cause me to redo the terraforming allover again

 

[Keroro]

Hi CivChris,

Thanks for your feedback and comments on the map. Before you go too much further I should tell you that I have made quite a number of changes to the map I'm working on at home, I think that between the two of us we should be able to come up with a really good map. Thanks for helping to refine it, and for your kind words in relation to it.

On the installation - it should all be in one simple file by the time I release the next version.

The bad news
My computer at home has been really difficult to work with in the last couple of months, and then just two days ago it just completely failed - won't boot at all. I think that the problem is with the display card, but it's about time for me to get a new system anyway. Until I do there won't be any real work done on civ as I can't use the computer at work for this kind of thing. Hopefully I'll be back into it soon enough.

The slightly better news
No data loss, as the hard drive is working fine.

Recent changes to the scenario:
Kyrene and Crete combined to free up a civ-slot.
Pontic Greeks added around the Black Sea. (one of your requests).
A system added to force certain civs to declare war at certain times using the 'sub-bug'.
Completely re-done tech tree. It should work far better now, and looks much simpler. Needs testing though.
Lots of new cities for Thrace/Illyria.
Plenty of tweaks to the map, though I'm interested with what you've done with it too.
I've been working on a city sprawl graphic system (see the 'Any Suggestions on this.' link in my sig), which is just about complete. In combination with a reduction in size for the city graphics and new terrain graphics from Ares de Borg it makes the map look much more epic. I have decided to change the mine though, it didn't fit in well with the road graphics I've now got. For occupied islands I have some 'city' units that will work just as well.

Finally - RedwallFortress - sorry for taking so long to reply, I somehow missed your post. You will only be able to play Alexander's macedonians, and later in the game you'll be able to annex the Macedon mainland. There's too much modded stuff in the game for the other sides to be realistically playable.

Happy Valentine's everyone.

 

[Blue Monkey]

I too went through a hardware failure. In my case a drive. I ended up with literally thousands of rescued graphics, now randomly numbered rather than named. As I've gotten them resorted I've slowly been able to get back to making tech icons, etc. Hope your troubles are resolved soon & not too expensively. I look forward to a new release to play & give you feed back.

 

[CivChris]

Hi CivChris,

Thanks for your feedback and comments on the map. Before you go too much further I should tell you that I have made quite a number of changes to the map I'm working on at home, I think that between the two of us we should be able to come up with a really good map. Thanks for helping to refine it, and for your kind words in relation to it.

well thanks for making the map and the upcoming mod in the first place

as for the map itself.. again it`s really fantastic, just the scale one would need for various scenarios and mods all around antiquity.

id really like to see your changes soon so hopefully you get the new machine up and running in no time
i know though how pesty it comes when your pc breaks apart... but very good to hear that you have no data losses.

Kyrene and Crete combined to free up a civ-slot.

ah i really think that works out fine, crete was more or less unimportant during this eara, the city states all fighting over one another and harbouring a lot of pirates. if i remember right even macedonia tried to clear the conditions but failed and it was not until the ptolomaic rule that some peace came to the island.

-i`ve altered both on the working map, tried to fit in 5 citys for kyrena for it was famed as the pentapolis, but manged 4 at good places
-crete has 3, with itanos on it`s eastern shores, for that was the major harbour during the ptolomaic rule and thus for the "Alexander lives on" path useable.

Pontic Greeks added around the Black Sea. (one of your requests).

- well that was no request, just a sugestion
but i really think with the ponic greek it would work fine.

- ive altered that already, giving the realm of the bosporian kingdom, colchis and bithnya to that civ, although bithnya should own calchedon, but for better game play (land conection to the "alexander homeland" i left it with the eastern greeks, but could fit in another city just south east of it to give the player some harder times to keep that landbride open via cultural domination in that spot.

bosporian kindom: 5 cities (could add easily 3 more), colchis 2 (could add 1)
bithnya 1 (could add 1) and "independent" sinope
make for now 9 cities for the pontic greeks.
- i left Trapesous to eastern greece cause alexander actually captured the city in the 334BC

A system added to force certain civs to declare war at certain times using the 'sub-bug'.
Completely re-done tech tree. It should work far better now, and looks much simpler. Needs testing though.

ah i wondered what was that debug triere for in the editor, until i found out while playtesting i really think thats a perfet way to "force" certain wars.
as said cant wait for the new version, i`ll be glad to playtest, one thing thouh... will there be a non debug version as well?
i know its very useful for testing but i kinda hate it when i see all enemys coming my way.

Lots of new cities for Thrace/Illyria.

like to see the illyrian changes, for in the old version as beeing part of germania i just added tergeste (trieste) as illyrian city.
you could add empidamnos to illyria as well, for it fell in the late 300s to them.

ah i`ve redone thrace as well, 5 cities now, with orestias (edrine) where you had placed philippopolis, as capital, original it would be kardia (now alexandrine) wich was the seat of the macedonian strategos for thrace though.
edit: well i read that somewhere i`m quite sure.. but can`t find it anymore ... has anyone other informations on this? and i mean Cardia and not lysimarchia wich was founded at that place ~300BC..

I've been working on a city sprawl graphic system (see the 'Any Suggestions on this.' link in my sig), which is just about complete. In combination with a reduction in size for the city graphics and new terrain graphics from Ares de Borg it makes the map look much more epic. I have decided to change the mine though, it didn't fit in well with the road graphics I've now got. For occupied islands I have some 'city' units that will work just as well.

that sounds and looks! wonderful, virote already mentioned some about the "inhabitated roads" and i remembered having seen that thread a while back as well. would add much to the atmosphere!

- i speacially like that idea for i have been thinking and "playworking" on some egyptian maps with "shipable" niles, i think by MaisseArsouye
and since the nilevalley was actually inhabitat all along, like village on village on village, and only the cultural centeres were sticking out of that all along populated shore, this graphics you work on would add the perfect picture to it.

the reduced city graphics sound intriguing as well

ah for the nile... i`ve adopted virotes version with the shipable nile along, now the founding of alexandreia would "open up" the nile to the med making it even more important.
i skiped your placed naukratis, for i would be situated more north west and made it heliopolis, where alexander was declared pharoh and son of amon ra.



ah and i placed garrisons on islands and some places, renaming them to the city that should be there. but this "city unit" idea of yours sounds even better! will you make them caturable and proteced by another unit?

heres my final for the Issos battle area so far.
you can see
the cilician gates (hold by eastern greeks)
the armenian gates (perisa, to the east) and
the assyrian gates (persia, to the south) and just left to the sone resource would be the village of issos. where a eye candy resource could spawn once you researced the issos battle tech.



so i really hope you get that new macine soon, better yesterday than tomorrow

if you like i can either send you my redone biq or upload it here, so you could check wich changes you might want to copy to the next version

 

[Keroro]

Your enthusiasm for the ancient Greek history is great to see, and your knowledge wil be really valuable to mod makers. I'll limit myself to some brief answers for now.

Debug mode - Of cource there will be a non-debug mode version. When I'm making mods I prefer to leave it on so that I can see what the AI is doing, but play testers are more than welcome to turn it off. If you go into the BIQ file then into the Scenarios tab there is a check box for it there.

Thanks to you (and also to Blue Monkey! Hiya, nice to speak again mate) for the words about computer failure. I can see myself spending a fair amount of money on a new system because I need to make sure it can play Starcraft 2 when it's released. I'm hoping to pay a visit to a local PC shop this Sunday.

Regarding Pontus - My map was fairly similar to yours IIRC, though I made the terrain rather more hilly too.

Regarding Thracia - I like where you've moved Phillipolis, I may well bring that into the final game. I also have a chain of cities accross the border of Macedon right to Illyria to represent the fierce tribes that lived on the edge of civilization.

Regarding Issus - I like the mountain arrangement you have there in fact, I may copy it.

Regarding the Nile - Shippable rivers were a possibility, but I think for the first version I'll leave them as they are. I'll maybe release a second version where the Nile and maybe the Tigris, Euphrates and some Indian rivers are shippable. If it proves popular then I'll develop that one further.

One further thing I want to work on is the Afghan area with Bactria and Sogdiana. I've been reading a novel based on the Afghan campaign and I recon I can improve that area quite a bit.

When I have my new computer up and running I'll recover the BIQ I've been working on and send it accross to you. We can compare notes.

 

[Virote_Considon]

Sounds like it will be great, Keroro!

 

[Blue Monkey]

I'll maybe release a second version where the Nile and maybe the Tigris, Euphrates and some Indian rivers are shippable.

In India there would be only one of note: The Ganges.

 

[Keroro]

For gameplay reasons I was also thinking that the Indus might be shippable - the Mack campaign down the Indus used a great deal of river craft for transport, that would be cool to represent in a game. The Ganges would be the other one of course.

For the Afghan campaign I'm considering a paradrop unit that could fall behind the Mack lines and make things difficult for the player - historically Alex had major problems with subduing the region and I'd like the Bactrians and Sogdians to have the potential to strike back if the player over-reaches.

 

[Blue Monkey]

For gameplay reasons I was also thinking that the Indus might be shippable - the Mack campaign down the Indus used a great deal of river craft for transport, that would be cool to represent in a game. The Ganges would be the other one of course.

IIRC the problem with the Indus is that it is not navigable all the way down, or continuously, but only in sections. If I'm wrong, then I'm all for your concept. Come to think of it, I am anyway for gameplay reasons.

 

[CivChris]

Your enthusiasm for the ancient Greek history is great to see, and your knowledge wil be really valuable to mod makers. I'll limit myself to some brief answers for now.

well i`m not that enthusiastic with greek history, i`m rather into the more ancient civs but i have some knowlege on the greeks wich i`ll gladly share.

actually i think this comes perfectly like some history lessen, or at least to encourage one to ceck the history behind it. it`s like with RFRE, i was never that much interested in roman history, but while playing i checked for more to go along "historic" and now have some useable knowlege on the roman eara, where previously i only had a short overview.

Debug mode - Of cource there will be a non-debug mode version. When I'm making mods I prefer to leave it on so that I can see what the AI is doing, but play testers are more than welcome to turn it off. If you go into the BIQ file then into the Scenarios tab there is a check box for it there.

that was my mistake... i did check the debug flag back, but i must have changed something important to the biq cause it crashed , so i thought you might need more files and a more finished pedia to play it in no debug (well it made sense in my head ) but i tried again and everything worked fine

wich leads me to 2 missing entries:
- won splash macedonian palace and
- won splash port of alexandreia
added both with some other splash for now.

One further thing I want to work on is the Afghan area with Bactria and Sogdiana. I've been reading a novel based on the Afghan campaign and I recon I can improve that area quite a bit.

ah that`ll be worth it, i fear good data on this is hard to find, but i`m sure there will be some

as for the shipable rivers:

the egypt version i made of virotes mapversion, works perfectly, i have "landbridges" located in the delta, to block the nile form the medsea, at memphis (to have alexander have his "normal" route) and at syene (assuan/elephantine) where the 2nd cateract is located.
all of nubia is shipable up to meroe ( just like in virotes version)

the ai seems to do ok with the river, egypt even sends nile galleys when alexander captures memphis, wich i found very apealing.

the indus, although only partly shipable, as blue monkey said, could work in the same way, having important cities block the river, and maybe a cheap wonder (that goes obsolent with the next tech) to autoproduce sea transport at high rate. so the player really has the option to send most of his troops via sea down the indus and later on to mesopotamia.

for mesopotamia i see some problems, the land is very narrow and twisted to the the north, it`ll be quite difficult to come up with "ok looking" shipable rivers in that spot. maybe just make the euphrates shipable up to babylon and leave the tigris as normal river ?
on the other hand you could add some more land with the maptweaker,
i tired enlarging mesopotamia and it works and looks ok, problem is all cities and units east to the "implanted" land would have to be redone..

as for the gameplay itself:

it`s tough to be in constant war, i rather build , but so far everything worked quite ok.

a sugestion on my side would be a small wonder, to be build once alexander takes heliopolis (along with the egyptian surrender tech) that declares him pharaoh and son of ammon-ra

i`m playing on the changed biq and sadly... issos does not take place... the persian armys more or less go for the eastern asia minor at melitene.
maybe, or the way around it through the armenian lands.
maybe some more mountains there would direct the persians to go for tarsos?
or maybe a special ressource giving them a useful building or unit? (i`m not so familiar how the ai handles these things, but i remmeber reading that it works somehow)

so i hope you got around with a new machine and you`re just puting up th eold HD into the new machine very soon

 

[CivChris]

*knock knock*

hope you`re machine is in place again keroro...

just wanted to asked if that update is anywhere near

i`ve mingled with the biq as i said, added some mointains and reduced the "passes" between asia minor and mesopotamia...
and actually had in the game i played a week back a perfect "battle of issos"
with the fewer places to attak on asia minor the persians moved to the tarsos area, and i actually had a perfect "issos battle" having to go for a guess 3/4th of the persian army at that place wich was difficult... but fun..
though i lost 2 of my 5 phalanx at that place

i really hope an update is somewhere soon in sight

 

[Keroro]

Thanks for the playtesting. I'm writing this on my girlfriend's sister's laptop, so will keep it brief.

New machine - to be delivered within a week. A dual core Intel 6750. I guess that should make pretty much anything a lot easier to do.

Regarding Issos/Issus, nice to know. I know the trouble that the RFRE team went through to get Hannibal to appear at the right time and place, so that's really good to hear. Losing a phalanx would be quite a blow. What is the general composiiton of the Persian army in the game you're playing now? Are they using chariots?