Balloons

[Coburn the Barbarian]

Probably a basic question to many, but some time ago the AI produced a military unit - a balloon with fairly decent offensive points. Kicked my ass. Year about 1600 (i guess). Can't find any info on this unit in the Civpedia. Anyone got information on this? What advances do you need to manufacture one of these things?
What units can I use to attack it?
Thank you

 

[Sodak]

I presume you were not playing a scenario, where special units are almost always present...

The extra air unit in the units.gif file may be what you are talking about. Rules.txt can be edited to "activate" additional units - had you been tinkering around with that file? Its default values would make it a formidable unit to face.

If you want to add new units, you can choose the prerequisite tech and its obsoletion tech, edit its qualities, etc, in rules.txt

 

[Coburn the Barbarian]

Many thanks Sodak.
I checked out the files...and sure enough you were right.
No I have not tampered with the rules.txt file, funny how the AI just inserted it. Only saw it in the one game, never again. Strange.
Anyhow, I'd love to add it as a mainstream unit. Anyone got suggestions on this -

The syntax in the rules.txt file goes something like this:
"Extra Air, nil, 1, 8.,4, 8a,8d, 2h,2f, 10,0, 0, no, 000000000000000"
which does not make a lot of sense to me. Any suggestions?
Also, how can I be sure that the unit I specify in the rules.txt matches the icon in the units.gif? (so that when the game is in play, I've got the balloon in the units list)

Thanks

 

[slothman]

If you don't change the position in rules.txt than the icon won't change. My suggestion for a value is 8,2,4,1,2 ADMHF with flags being "000000010110001". Or carriar ability-if it works, can be lost at sea-for fun, can attack air, and 2 space visibility. It requires flight and has a fuel of 0-like choppers.

 

[Sodak]

Originally posted by Lindsay Coburn
The syntax in the rules.txt file goes something like this:
"Extra Air, nil, 1, 8.,4, 8a,8d, 2h,2f, 10,0, 0, no, 000000000000000"
which does not make a lot of sense to me. Any suggestions?

At the top of the unit section in rules.txt is some text describing what each of these attributes is. Each is separated by a comma. For example, the 4 is range, how many turns it may stay aloft before crashing. Read that, it will make sense once you do so. If you want to include it in your game, you must change the "no" before the 0000000000000000 to the 3-letter abbreviation for whatever tech you want to make the unit available. The 3-letter abbreviations are above in the tech section. You could make your own tech, too. Don't neglect to make a backup copy of rules.txt before you start tinkering!

 

[Coburn the Barbarian]

Thanks to Slothman and (again) to Sodak. I'll give it a whirl.