Any interest in making Jidaigeki MGE units?

[Cassius Critzer]

Jidaigeki 1.0 is a MGE mod and I know all the unit art being generated for the last several years has been for ToT. I have a full roster of company class units (totalling 100 samurai each) with maybe the cavalry units numbering (50 samurai each) so a platoon.

Then there are three battalion class units (650 samurai)that represent defender class, attacker class, and army class.

Then ultimately there is a regiment strength Imperial/Shogunate Army (1000 samurai)

But a double company of nagamaki and no dachi comprised of 200 would be an interesting unit. Or a mixed group of a hundred elite cavalry archers and elite heavy cavalry would be an outstanding 100 samurai unit. You could use those disaster slots. See below.

Would anyone be willing to create these by effectively combining graphics or coming up with some unique icons?

There are disaster slots for disease (pictured as death), earthquakes, and tsunami. These won't be used until Jidaigeki 2.0

Android software does not allow loading palettes at all, so I cannot just make something as a png in Photosuite and then it has no provision for exporting to a gif format. Thus even if I make something, it won't be parsed correctly even if converted to a gif.

Basically I am doing minor haphazard pixel editing in the unit editor in Civ 2 MGE. I actually don't have a proper units.gif either.

Thank you for your kind consideration. Domo arigato gozaimahorsehockye. Gosh the forum sftware saw Japanese as a curse word.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Here are the Jidaigeki units in a png format just so interested people can see them. I borrowed from existing units and then made minor changes to create a few.
​

 

[Cassius Critzer]

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/jidaigeki-samurai-mod-for-mge.647115/
If someone wants to help but has very little time, then there are some minor requests in here.
1. Convert one of the walled city types into a fortress (fort slot)
2. Convert one of the walled city types into a ninja base (airfield slot)
3. Make a Date flag to replace the Imagawa one.
4. Make a Date kanabo unit (only they can recruit in the Rules file).

Anyone who helps will get officially recognized and then has early access to play beta versions and earlier access to the full versions, both 1.0 and in the future releases (2.0, 3.0, 4.0). Great mods are collaborations of many members with their own talents.

The slightest help is a big deal to me. Already I owe two of you just for answering my silly ignorant questions. I plan to pm you both with early access.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Here is a Date samurai wielding a kanabo. They are brutally effective...a good old skullmasher. That will mess up your whole day.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

The Nagamaki is the green one in slot 50 then coupled with the swordsmen in slot 33 wearing a helm with gold horns(the No Dachi Level 3).

The Elite Cavalry is in slot 51 in black armor then coupled with the Elite Cavalry Archer in slot 44 who has a red and black shield.

The really technical aspect is doubling them as the identifying shields for the various players has to align too.

 

[JPetroski]

Can I suggest that you make a creation thread for your scenario and have all thoughts regarding it contained therein? I think you have near a dozen threads in the creation forum and now here which is very confusing to follow, clogs the forums, and also will make it very challenging for you to go back to following any breaks you may take on the creation journey.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Sorry, it's because I'm asking for help. Few mods are teams are essentially one. As you can see by the dates, it's a blitz style of modding at the tail end of a nine month journey. Now with some small assistance, multiple versions can easily be generated.

There was a year gap in my posts while doing work on it. Then there will be similar breaks to collect whatever help I can muster. Or not if there is no interest the other versions will be very slow as version 1.0 was.

How many MGE mods have come out in the last two years? Not many if any as everything is ToT.

 

[CurtSibling]

Allow me to back up @JPetroski in that we prefer if we keep the posts to relevant and minimal threads.

Also, I think you might find MGE modders to be thin on the ground at this stage.
ToT rules the waves. Due to it being better than MGE in most areas.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Self-fulfillin' prophesy, dude.

 

[Patine]

Self-fulfillin' prophesy, dude.

That sounds, if I didn't know any better, like a not-so-subtle disrespect to the whole Scenario League because we don't confirm to your tastes and cater to your viewpoint, which is probably a distinct minority.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Hardly given my signature.

I'm surprised that a more than 20 year old piece of software somehow is considered a stepchild and anyone who wants to use it is not allowed to ask questions because they are an MGE user. Weird and a self-fufilling prophecy as when an official staff person says it, then why would anyone at the Scenario league then help them?

Don't you see that? Such unneccesary hostility is insular. Why would you care unless, you don't want MGE users to speak? It's peculiar.

You should know there's a reputation of a chilly response for any MGE modder and so that alone discourages modding. I understand it now.

I'm an outsider and the instead of being selfish, my first words (in almost a year) is to help save maps from being lost that I know about. Or to provide gifs buried in a dll file. A good portion of my time has been to develop a game mechanic of army strength units plus terrain that helps everyone who mods.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

This is allegedly the Scenario League's whole raison detre.

"Welcome to the Civilization 2 Scenario League. This forum is home to Civ2 scenario designers, playtesters, graphics artists and enthusiasts. The emphasis is on user created scenarios so if you enjoy designing or playing scenarios then you are in the right place!"

There is nothing in there saying don't ask questions or bother if a MGE modder.

 

[techumseh]

That sounds, if I didn't know any better, like a not-so-subtle disrespect to the whole Scenario League because we don't confirm to your tastes and cater to your viewpoint, which is probably a distinct minority.

You should know better, Patine. Cassius Critter, it's great to see an enthusiastic new scenario designer here. Welcome! Unfortunately, most (all?) of us left MGE behind several years ago. I think you're going to be hard pressed to find someone here to do artwork for an MGE scenario. The Scenario Creation forum may be of more value for your purposes.

Btw. Have you played Darth Veda's Sengoku Jidai scenario? It was made originally for MGE, and was later converted to ToT.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Best of luck with your scenario.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Yep. I saw tremendous untapped potential in the the Darth Veda samurai mod, but it wasn't set up earlier so there was a build up. It begins and there is no infrastructure and no units very late. And I've noticed when there is a build up in any mod, the AI is not smart enough to fully build an economy and infrastrcture. They half-ass it as every nation doing only the bare minimum.

That's why I used Sengoku Jidai as a template and built a complex tech tree that is 90 % military oriented (from actual samurai history and culture) and uses a prebuilt 3/4 fleshed out infrastructure. Then configured units like squads, platoons, companies, battalions, and regiments. It ends up with extremely strong clans with thousands of units so it's immediate fun for single player and multiplayer.

Heck, I don't even play multiplayer. It's a gift for the community.

Now since all the minutia has been finished, I'm less than two weeks from a release. And yet, now it's quite easily to build 5 more scenarios IF:
I have 1/4 more land in what is now called Korea.
And have 18 units (6 for a Mongol Invasion(s). 6 for the Ming. 6 for the Joseon or there about).

How would the Scenario league like 5 more scenarios based on the same mod?

I asked politely if anyone was a mapper, or made units, or wanted to create a new fort. If not then it will take another nine month period to create a new one.

Instead, I'm told quite abruptly this is not a Civ 2 Scenario League but a ToT even a ToTPP Scenario League. Weird.

Where else would I find an experienced mapper and experienced unit artists but here???

I don't understand what rule I broke by politely asking if anyone was interested. Clearly people were examining what I posted, so some may be interested in helping say on a single unit or clan insignia (mon) but cannot commit a day of time. Why would you care if I ask?

 

[Cassius Critzer]

That sounds, if I didn't know any better, like a not-so-subtle disrespect to the whole Scenario League because we don't confirm to your tastes and cater to your viewpoint, which is probably a distinct minority.

I don't know if I am a minority as there are a lot of retro gamers of Civ 2 MGE and ToT was extremely unpopular until the mod creators at civfanatics made mods to fix it.

I am a minority though. Is minority a pejorative to your way of thinking? It seems so. Do you perceive minorities to be inferior?

 

[CurtSibling]

@Cassius Critzer
I think you'll find we are all CIV2 fans here, let's not bring "version identities" into the mix.
If you love MGE, that is cool. We all started out with basic CIV2.

We mostly moved to ToT, because it is a better version. I too needed some convincing
back in the day to adopt ToT over MGE. but I didn't regret the changeover at all...
The upgrades in graphics, and the ToTPP application leave MGE in the dust.

And indeed, welcome to the forum, and we hope you'll stick around.
Just have respect for fellow members, and you will be respected also.

As for getting help for MGE scenarios, you will find not many takers for helping out a mod.
That said, we have a thread where we convert old scenarios to TOT...And then a whole
new world of scenario options opens up...

Unlimted gold, cities, units? Check!
Vast libraries of units and terrain graphics? Check!
Amazing tactical scenario features via specialised scripts? Check!

Give ToT a try, dude...I think you'll enjoy it.

Best Regards,
Curt

 

[Cassius Critzer]

ToT works fine under emulation but ToTPP does not. That means what you are making when transforming does NOT function for many people.

How many people can actually use the mod changes you made? ToT mods before ToTPP worked fine. Now? Not at all.

 

[CurtSibling]

ToT works fine under emulation but ToTPP does not. That means what you are making when transforming does NOT function for many people.

How many people can actually use the mod changes you made?

I have to run TOT under Win7 settings, and I have no problem.

If you have the same version of CIV ToT and ToTPP version, then it runs just fine.
Learning how to run a CIV2 scenario is the most basic matter.

Did you know you can mass copy and paste the entire directory folder for CIV2 ToT?
I have loaded my mods from a USB chip on a dozen laptops and desktop PCs.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

I have zero issues running ToT and a non ToTPP mod under emulation.

The ToTPP software designer is well aware it does not work for some.

If the Scenario League wholesale coverts to just ToTPP and does not keep earlier nonToTPP versions, then a lot of people will NOT be able to run the mods you worked so hard to convert.

Is that what you want?

 

[Cassius Critzer]

You have tons of benefits to using ToTPP... if the software runs like scripting and more units.
The number of cities is a function realistically of the map size and how the terrain editor is set up so a city can thrive and grow into a metropolis.

Otherwise, MGE is fine. Even in this mod, it's no big deal that there are not more units or more than 254 cities BUT the macro language would be great.