[BtS] JKP1187's NOT JUST ANOTHER NEXTWAR MOD

[BradV2]

I like the changes you're adding. Tieing Enviromentalism into the resource depletion is a good idea.

The only thing I'd like to bring up again before you finish your final build is the biological warheads. They're more expensive than the guided missiles, have a much weaker strength, come later in the game, can be intercepted, and you need to build a polluting building to even make them! The only thing they have over guilded missiles is the collatoral damage, which would be useful if they're strength wasn't 14.
It seems like they're main use is to reduce the population in a city, but they don't seem to do this very well (if at all). Also, the civilopedia says that there is a chance of a plague spreading every time they are used. Is this true, or just civilobabble?
I really want to like this unit, and have gone through the trouble of building and using them in a couple of NextWar games, but they always end up being useless. At the very least, I'd like to see their strength increased to make up for their shortcomings.

 

[jkp1187]

Hmm. Those are good points.

I will look into this. Won't happen for the next update, but I'll see what can be done.

The bit about the plague in the 'Pedia may just be babble -- I didn't see anything about bio missiles in CvEventManager.py, which is where I'd assume that code, if it existed, would reside, since that's also the file with the code for the arcology - shielding - adv. shielding replacement, the resource depletion code, the "world crack like an egg b/c you used too many nukes" code, and the Partisans random event trigger code.

The 'pedia also says something to the effect that if Mind Control Centers are destroyed, unhappiness increases above and beyond what it was before, but I haven't seen any code concerning THAT, either.

I may just remove the offending 'pedia entries.

 

[jkp1187]

Updated to v. 1.11. See first post for download link.

Key changes:

1.) Added resource depletion code.
2.) Nanoids now available promotion for Armor, Gunships, Naval Units.
3.) New icons for NextWar unit classes (thanks Mamba)
4.) Added civilopedia entry for NextWar changes and rules under "Beyond the Sword Concepts".
5.) Arcology now requires both Hydroponics and Composites.
6.) Culture costs now increased by 5% for all game speeds -- to match the fact that there are now 5% more game turns.
7.) Added new random event "Slip and Fall".
8.) Updated with new random events from JKP1187's Random Events v. 1.08


Constructive feedback appreciated -- especially on whether or not culture/tech is balanced properly and whether or not the new resource depletion code works properly. (It looked good to me, but would appreciate positive/negative feedback.)

There are one or two minor tweaks that may be made (I will see what I can do about bio weapons, for instance.)

 

[Armandeus]

I'm having a problem with this mod that I don't have with the vanilla patched BTS.
Certain, but not all, XML tags for text are being shown instead of the text that they supposedly point to. See the screenshots for details.
3 Screenshots in a ZIP file
I am running Japanese Vista 64. I get XML parser errors if I don't change the regional settings to US English, but in that case, all XML text tags display instead of the text they refer to. When running BTS after changing the regional setting to US English, I don't get these errors, so it is unusual for me to get XML text tag errors in only a few places.
I searched around the XML text files in the mod assets, but I couldn't see any missing or open tags.
If you look at the screen captures I attached, maybe you can tell which file is the source of the error judging from the tags that are getting displayed instead of text.
Thanks.

 

[jkp1187]

Hmm. I am not getting this error in my copy.

The files you're looking for are:

CIV4GameText_BTS.xml

and

CIV4NewConceptInfos.xml

There should be a copy of NewConceptInfos.XML in Assets/XML/Text for the mod, because that's where I put the new Civilopedia entry under CONCEPT_NEXTWAR -- the text for the entry resides in Civ4GameText_BTS_Fixed.xml. On the other hand, I did not include CIV4GameText_BTS.xml in the mod because I didn't change anything in that file.

All of these files are supposed to reside in the Text folder under XML. Perhaps one of them was moved?

Are you using a graphics/skin mod of some kind? Maybe that's interfering with something....

 

[Echo of Celts]

I have been playing just standard BTS with Bhruic's patch and Lt.Bob's 40 Civ mod for awhile now, but have been looking for something new, but not overly changed.

I am really interested in this mod and the revolutions mod and was just wondering if a merged download has been made available or do I need to do so myself at this point.

Thanks

 

[ggalindo001]

Updated to v. 1.11. See first post for download link.

Key changes:

1.) Added resource depletion code.
2.) Nanoids now available promotion for Armor, Gunships, Naval Units.
3.) New icons for NextWar unit classes (thanks Mamba)
4.) Added civilopedia entry for NextWar changes and rules under "Beyond the Sword Concepts".
5.) Arcology now requires both Hydroponics and Composites.
6.) Culture costs now increased by 5% for all game speeds -- to match the fact that there are now 5% more game turns.
7.) Added new random event "Slip and Fall".
8.) Updated with new random events from JKP1187's Random Events v. 1.08


Constructive feedback appreciated -- especially on whether or not culture/tech is balanced properly and whether or not the new resource depletion code works properly. (It looked good to me, but would appreciate positive/negative feedback.)

There are one or two minor tweaks that may be made (I will see what I can do about bio weapons, for instance.)

JKP -- Going to launch a new game soon. Will focus on what you are looking for.

 

[Sinapus]

Possibly. It looks like an on/off switch for this feature won't be that difficult to implement, the problem is that it will require an SDK mod (which I've tried to avoid doing.) Let me look into it. The key will be me getting my hands on the appropriate compiler.

For whatever it's worth, I am intent on improving the resource depletion code from what was originally in NextWar -- my goal is to keep it from happening until later in the game, and to keep it relatively rare.

I want to make the feature so that it provides some spice in the late game, not make it a huge headache for the player, with resources disappearing left and right. If I can't do that to my satisfaction, I will leave it out.

Would simply remarking out ("##") the relevant sections of code in CvEventManager.py remove the depletion event from the mod without breaking the game?

 

[richarnd]

Hmm. I am not getting this error in my copy.

The files you're looking for are:

CIV4GameText_BTS.xml

and

CIV4NewConceptInfos.xml

There should be a copy of NewConceptInfos.XML in Assets/XML/Text for the mod, because that's where I put the new Civilopedia entry under CONCEPT_NEXTWAR -- the text for the entry resides in Civ4GameText_BTS_Fixed.xml. On the other hand, I did not include CIV4GameText_BTS.xml in the mod because I didn't change anything in that file.

All of these files are supposed to reside in the Text folder under XML. Perhaps one of them was moved?

Are you using a graphics/skin mod of some kind? Maybe that's interfering with something....

I'm getting the same error as Armandeus - text strings throughout the game are replaced with XML code. This can be seen as early as the Custom Game->Options screen (where, for example, "Choose Religion" is shown as "TXT_KEY_GAME_OPTION_PICK_RELIGION". Similar text appears throughout the game. It's playable, but annoying.

I am running english windows XP with a patched, otherwise unmodified BTS install. I don't have Warlords installed.

I also don't have the file you mentioned (CIV4NewConceptInfos.xml) in the folder you specify under the MOD. Maybe it was not included in the zip?

Nice mod, otherwise.

 

[jkp1187]

Sorry -- wrong folder. NewConceptInfos should be in the "BASIC INFOS" folder, not "TEXT".

Is there anyone NOT having this text glitch?

 

[Armandeus]

NewConceptInfos.XML is in the basicinfos folder as you describe.

The only graphical mod I am using is Blue Marble with CivScale.

 

[jkp1187]

Would simply remarking out ("##") the relevant sections of code in CvEventManager.py remove the depletion event from the mod without breaking the game?

Yes. Note that there are two sections -- one at the end, the other toward the beginning of CVEventManager tha twill have to be commented-out.

 

[Echo of Celts]

JK, I had the same text glitch, I fixed it by merging

CIV4GameText_Objects_BTS

with the original from BTS V3.13.

 

[richarnd]

JK, I had the same text glitch, I fixed it by merging

CIV4GameText_Objects_BTS

with the original from BTS V3.13.

Thanks for the tip - this worked for me, and I learned how to do something new in the process. I attached the merged file in case others are having the same problem - although I am sure JK will want to check and make sure it is correct.

 

[jkp1187]

Thanks for the help! I will check it out and add it in when I get a chance.

 

[jkp1187]

Problem confirmed and fix by richarnd confirmed. I will upload a version with the fixed XML shortly.

Sorry about that -- apparently I kept editing the XMLs in my "Working" folder and forgot to add them to the "FINAL" folder that gets zipped and uploaded, so everything looked okay when I loaded it from my desktop computer.

 

[jkp1187]

Some design thoughts.

I've been home sick with a stomach virus for a couple of days, and my wife was out of town, so I had nothing to do but sit around and mess around with this. As a result, I played a couple of games back to back, and am starting to think about the space race.

Because I retained the original techs for the SS Thrusters (Superconductors) and SS Casing (Composites), while leaving the rest for the NextWar techs, the space race is a little drawn-out. It's still a race, but you'll always build the parts in order of the techs that are discovered, and while there may be a race between one or two civs, there doesn't seem to be a chance for a come-from-behind space win like there was in Civ I or II, for instance, by building a small, cheap, slow ship with a low % of success that actually makes it by the skin of its teeth.

Now, I actually like the techs that are assigned to the components, so I don't want to change those. (Composities = casing and the like.) But now I'm starting to think that Apollo Program needs to be, perhaps, renamed "Mission to Mars" and moved up to a later technology. That way, whenever the space race kicks off, at least several of the key technologies will have been discovered, and the race, so to speak, can begin in earnest immediately. (Besides, from a realism perspective, I think a successful manned Mars mission would be a more logical jump-off point to an interstellar mission than Apollo.)

Thoughts?

 

[jkp1187]

v. 1.12

* Added fix to CIV4GameText_Objects_BTS.xml. No substantive changes.

If you already have 1.11 and don't want to download it again, just grab richarnd's fix here:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6414850&postcount=114

Copy the new XML file into the folder:
C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Beyond the Sword\Mods\JKP1187's NOT JUST ANOTHER NEXTWAR MOD\Assets\XML\Text

Overwrite the existing file when prompted.

P.S. This mod must be at least somewhat successful. I already have an unofficial patch.

 

[Armandeus]

This is the best Next War mod on this site, mainly because you don't add tons of imbalanced junk to your mod, which every other Next War mod does in spades. Also because you are quick to fix any problems, unlike some other half-abandoned mods. Keep up the good work!
And I agree about the Mission to Mars idea.

 

[jkp1187]

Well, to each their own when it comes to mods, but I do appreciate the complements!

On Mission to Mars, I am starting to think that, perhaps Biological Warfare might be the best tech. The game reason is that it is sufficiently late into the tech tree that many space parts will immediately be buildable AND it requires the player to research a technology that is otherwise easily bypassable on the road to spaceship construction. Also, for some reason (I never really noticed until now,) Biological Warfare's prerequisites are Genetics and Refrigeration. Well, Refrigeration is already a prereq for Genetics, so there's no way you'd have that without Genetics. I'm going to replace Refrigeration as a prereq with Aquaculture (which is, I think, almost a useless tech otherwise at this point in the game unless you're just milkin' points, and has a rather cool tech quote, if I may say so.) I am play-testing this setup right now, so I'll let you know how it goes.

The in-game rationale will be that the development and use of bio-weapons creates the popular and political will for interstellar colonization Just as the Cold War was the catalyst for Apollo Program, (a tremendous engineering feat, but to some extent using off-the-shelf technology...but for the politics, it probably wouldn't have happened, at least not in that timeframe,) so too the fear of biowar getting out of control and destroying Earth could be the shot in the arm necessary for the enormous effort to build a starship and colonize a new system. (I'm also influenced a little by the backstory from SMAC.)

I actually will re-write the Apollo Civilopedia entry (for many people, Civ is also partially a role-playing game, so getting these little things right is more important than you'd think.) And if someone could re-color the Apollo icon so that the Moon is red instead of gray, that would be really cool. (I will try to do it myself, but I got a C+ in 11th grade art, so no promises....)

Any thoughts?