[BtS 3.19 Mod] Culturally Linked Starts

[Jean Elcard]

Only a small update. The new version comes now with an installer/uninstaller and contains the correct source files. Sorry for the inconvenience.

There are no changes besides the two points mentioned above. So no need to download 1.1.1, if you already have 1.1.0 and you don't intend to use Culturally Linked Starts for modding purposes.

@Modders: For those who want to learn how to make an installer I included the source code for the open source NSIS installer I used as well. NSIS is a product of Nullsoft. You probably know them. They are the creators of WinAmp.

EDIT: Historical question: Who is the guy on the installer screen shot? (There is nothing to win besides honor)

 

[Sine Nomen]

This really does work well. I could never figure out why Firaxis neglected to include it in Civ IV. Is anyone willing to incorporate this into Better AI, though? I'd love to be able to play with both but know absolutely nothing about coding.

 

[Jean Elcard]

Culturally Linked Starts was a "love it or hate it" feature for a lot of gamers in civ3 and furthermore it was always a bit buggy. Maybe Firaxis just wanted to save itself some pain.

To incorporate it into Better AI you would have to know how to compile the DLL. I had to make some changes in there to make CLS work as a game option correctly. All the CLS logic is in only one python file. Should make the Python merge really easy by just copying the file. It's very unlikely that it interferes with anything another mod might do.

 

[Marshall Thomas]

I'd like to try this mod, but I already use Wolfshanze's mod and I don't know how to combine. In fact I don't really have any modding experience at all.

Could someone please give me step-by-step instructions for how to combine the culturally linked starts mod with Wolfshanze's mod? Thanks in advance

 

[Jean Elcard]

Is anyone willing to incorporate this into Better AI, though? I'd love to be able to play with both but know absolutely nothing about coding.

I decided to do the merge with the current version of Better BTS AI myself. You may download the combined version via the link in the first post. As always, it comes with an easy to use installer/uninstaller and creates a desktop shortcut for you, if you want one.

I'd like to try this mod, but I already use Wolfshanze's mod and I don't know how to combine. In fact I don't really have any modding experience at all. Could someone please give me step-by-step instructions for how to combine the culturally linked starts mod with Wolfshanze's mod? Thanks in advance

Without any modding experience it's going to be very difficult, even with an extensive step by step instruction. You may ask Wolfshanze if he would mind combining his mod with Culturally Linked Starts himself. It's probably very easy for him, but "if to merge or not to merge" is for him to decide. I consider Culturally Linked Starts pretty done. There won't be any big updates to it in the future. In short: It's ready to be merged with other mods, but I can't do all the merges myself.

 

[Ninja2]

Well, I am happy to report that it's in the Merged Mod 0.83, and working fine! Good work, mr. Elcard!

 

[Jean Elcard]

Well, I am happy to report that it's in the Merged Mod 0.83, and working fine! Good work, mr. Elcard!

That's cool Ninja2. Thanks. CLS will certainly reach a greater audience this way.

I made a (at the moment rather short) list of mod packs which do incorporate CLS in the first post and put a link to your Merged Mod there as well.

 

[Sine Nomen]

I decided to do the merge with the current version of Better BTS AI myself. You may download the combined version via the link in the first post. As always, it comes with an easy to use installer/uninstaller and creates a desktop shortcut for you, if you want one.

Thanks, you're my hero!

 

[strategyonly]

Anyway to do this withOUT a dll??

 

[Jean Elcard]

Anyway to do this withOUT a dll??

You would have to ditch the custom game option to do this. Then you could implement CLS as a so called map script mod or add it to a map script of your choice directly. The function normalizeStartingPlots would be a good entrypoint for calling assignCulturallyLinkedStarts. Anyway, I don''t recommend doing all this, because you would have to change any single map script file you would want to use the mod with.

 

[Jean Elcard]

Version 1.1.2 only fixes a small bug I came across today by accident. CLS is now working for games with exactly 9 players. Updated both download links in the first post. Note to modders: There are no SDK changes.

 

[The Capo]

So basically you can't add this to a mod without compiling the DLL?

Is this what you are saying?

 

[Jean Elcard]

So basically you can't add this to a mod without compiling the DLL?

Is this what you are saying?

More or less. What I said is: There are "unrecommended" ways, but even those involve quite some Python knowledge.

 

[The Capo]

Well, what do you mean by that?

What do I have to do?

 

[Jean Elcard]

You can't add CLS to another SDK mod without compiling the DLL.

Btw, you never mentioned the mod you want to add it to. If you give me this information, maybe I can help you out.

 

[The Capo]

Well it isn't a specific mod, per se, it is a mod that I am working on myself but it uses the SuperSpy Mod which does have SDK in it. So that is the one I intend on merging it with. But if its really complicated its okay, it isn't necessary, I just thought it would be a cool option.

 

[Jean Elcard]

I merged CLS 1.1.2 with the new Better BTS AI release 0.40 and put it all in an installer which you can download as usual via the link in the first post.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Wait, wait. Since the only thing that modcomp does is place culturally linked starting positions, you can use it to generate a map, play a few turns if you like, and then switch it back to any other save-compatible dll.

 

[Jean Elcard]

Wait, wait. Since the only thing that modcomp does is place culturally linked starting positions, you can use it to generate a map, play a few turns if you like, and then switch it back to any other save-compatible dll.

This could work. Just tried it. Opened a game, entered world builder und saved the game as a world builder save. Opened it with a text editor, removed the line mentioning the culturally linked starts option and loaded the save with Rise of Mankind. Went smoothly. There are probably some issues, that weren't apparent in my quick test, but in principle it does work.

 

[The Capo]

If you can't combine this with other mods how exactly is it a mod component?