Assets modifications.

[Danicela]

There are 2 Assets folders : The Civ4 folder's one.
And the Document & Settings's one which is called "Custom Assets".

Can you change everything that is in the Assets folders, for exemple, the black music "Openningmenu.mp3" ? (If I replace it with another music calling it with the same name)

And if you want to modify this, do you replace the original file that you backup, or do you add the file in Custom Assets ?

How the computer knows which one to use ? If there are 2 "openningmenu.mp3" ? (one in Civ4 folder's Assets, and the other in Custom Assets)

Please give me information about how using Assets and what does it imply. (or give me a link if there is already something about this point)

 

[Paasky]

The game loads the assets in this order, and if there's a dublicate, the next loaded one replaces the previous one.
Assets
CustomAssets
Mod folder (if any)

So putting something into the correct folder in customassets overrides anything in assets.

So changing the "black music" p) and putting it in CustomAssets\sounds\soundtrack would replace the orig "black music".


Oh, heres a tip: Never EVER replace stuff in Assets, ALWAYS put them in either a mod or customassets.

 

[dalek master]

Oh, heres a tip: Never EVER replace stuff in Assets, ALWAYS put them in either a mod or customassets.

but back-it-up anyway. I once more or less change half-my game without relissing I was in the Assets folder! :suicide:

 

[Impaler[WrG]]

Infact I think its wise to create a copy of the Original assets on your hard-drive so just incase you screwup the ones in the Civ4 directory you can restore them without re-instaling.

 

[Paasky]

But a good idea is to leave the .fpk's out of the copy, as those can't be modded, just have the xml & python, that's usually enough

 

[Danicela]

You talk about "replacing" when you say to put in Custom Assets.
But there is not any replacing actually because you put the files in a seperate folder.
If you place things in Custom Assets, they will be used instead of Assets' ones, ok, but will they replace the files that are in Assets or this folder remains safe without any changes ?

 

[Paasky]

Yes the original files remain safe, which is exactly what the Customassets folder is for. But there is always a small chance of accidentally replacing stuff when you edit them while both Assets & CustomAssets versions of the file are open at the same time (has happened to me several times) so keeping a copy of the XML & Python folders is a good idea.

 

[Danicela]

So you load a mod putting for exemple the "Desert War" folder in the Custom Mods folders ?

 

[Paasky]

That's one way, but the better ways are these:
1) Open civ, click on advanced (or whatever the button is for settings), then click load a mod. If the mod has a scenario, the game will load the neccessary mod when you try to play that scenario.
2) Make a copy-paste of the civ4 shortcut & add mod= *mods-folders-name* after the .exe stuff.
3) Edit the civ4.ini and edit mod = 0 into mod = *mods-folders-name*

I personally use 2) for all mods, I have 1 shortcut per mod. Although I use method 3) for sevomod, which I use for regular games.