[BtS SDK] Ultimate Ranged Combat Mod

[Fanatic Demon]

I'm currently working on my new Ultimate Ranged Combat Mod which will revolutionise combat in Civilisation Civ4

You can download a Preview version from: http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/49944/Ultimate_Ranged_Combat_Mod_0.1.rar

The current version has implemented the following features:
- Multiple Ranged Attacks at 1 or longer range
- Counter Ranged Attack
- Free Ranged Attack when Moving
- Entrenhment Defensive modifiers
- Ranged Zone of Control Defence which will automatically fire when a units moves into range
- Different Ranged Attack values versus Soft, Hard, Ship, Sub and Air Targets
- Ranged Armour Defence protects a unit agains ranged attacks
- Ranged Armour Piercing allows the to penetrate ranged armour

This mod is inspired by Dales Field Bombardment mod, and brings it up to a whole new level. It adds several new XML elements which allows modders to make combat in Civilisation a lot more realistic. It uses Solvers AI SDK fix as a base and adds additional AI combat ranged combat graphics improvements.

Here is a list of basic XML elements:
- <iVisibilityRange> (see normal unit range)
- <iSeeInvisibilityRange> (see invisibility unit range)

- <iCaptureBonusChance> Chance of capturing enemy enit when killed
- <iGetCapturedChance> Chance of unit beeing captured when killed

- iRangedZoneOfControlRange (maximum range at which is automatically shot at any targets)
- iRangedZoneOfControlResponseChance (chance of ZoC response versus any target will happen)

- iRangedTargetRange (maximum range attacking any target)
- iRangedDamage (ranged damage versus any target)

- iRangedArmorDefense (allows armored units to be more bombard resistant or become completely impervious)
- iRangedArmorPiercing (allows the Armor of Any Target units to be pierced)

- iRangedAccuracy (determines chance of hitting any target by range)
- iRangedExperienceModifier (determines how unit experience modifies ranged performance in general)
- iRangedLethality (how good or bad is a unit in killing any targets at range completely)
- iRangedTerrainDefenceModifier (determines how terrain defence modifies renged defence)

- iRangedTargetType (Targeting Type of unit) possible values: Soft, Hard, Ship, Sub or Air.
- iRangedTargetDifficulty (determines how hard is to het hit by ranged attacks )
- iRangedEntreshmentBunking (reduces enemy entreshment level)
- iRangedRandomness (determines how many random random values are used for calculating damage)
- iRangedAIPreferenceRangedAttack (How much the AI will prefer ranged attack over close combat)

- iRangedExperienceAccuracyModifier (determines how unit experience modifies targeting accuracy)
- iRangedExperienceDamageModifier (determines how unit experience modifies ranged damage)
- iRangedExperienceResponseModifier (determines how unit experience modifies a unit Zone of Control response)
- iRangedExperienceLethalityModifier (determines how unit experience modifies a unit ability to exterminate)
- iRangedExperienceDefenceModifier (determines how unit experience modifies ranged defense)

- iRangedHealthOffenceModifier ( how damage effects the ranged attack effectiveness )
- iRangedHealthDefenceModifier ( allows units to become more of less damage resistance if they lose health)
- iRangedMinimumAttackHealth (minimum amount of health required for ranged attack)
- iRangedMinimumDefenceHealth (minimum amount of health required for ranged defence)
- iRandedEntrenshmentAttackModifier (increases or decreases effect of entrenched units)
- iRandedEntrenshmentDefenceModifier (increases or decreases effect of fortified units)

there will be many more XML tags which allow the modder to further refine his mod.

 

[keldath]

awesome ideas!!!!

perhaps you can add the dale codes from road to war - that allow speciphic airstirke missions - allows to bombard buildings units of wonder (somthing like that)

when are you gonna release this?

 

[Fanatic Demon]

awesome ideas!!!!

perhaps you can add the dale codes from road to war - that allow speciphic airstirke missions - allows to bombard buildings units of wonder (somthing like that)

Sound intresting. I will look into if I can do this.

when are you gonna release this?

Probably this week I will release a beta version

 

[keldath]

great

ill be waiting...

 

[Gunner]

Wow, this looks really cool. Keep up the good work.

 

[Kalimakhus]

@Fanatic Demon

Excellent ideas!! Just the things I have wanted to see in the game for a long time. In fact you add a lot more than I had in mind.

As you expand on Dale's work, do you intend to add real ranged attack to archery units? I have always thought that the idea of archers rushing into melee units is rather absurd.

I see that you have quite a lot of factors. In a game of abstraction like Civ4 you might find that combining many factors in some operation ends-up making no difference. I don't say that this will happen but I hope you device your factors well enough so each will be noticeable and affect the outcome of combat.

Good luck with this excellent ideas, and I am waiting impatiently for your beta.

 

[Fanatic Demon]

What do you mean by real ranged attack? Well I personally love giving archers ranged attack which will add tactical value and increased realism. It also allows other units to be much more interesting. For example, you could create a siege tower unit which shoots arrows, cannot attack but has a high armour value allowing it to rain arrows on the enemy and provide cover from melee units that will be able to storm the walls in better condition than without

I'm aware of Civilisation is a game of abstraction, but when you build a detailed unit from the real world, I think it is not too much to be asked to have it behave like the real unit.

I offer mod makers many factors which allow them to crate units the way they want it to be. They can choose only use a minimum subset of all features I offer, which would work, but they would miss a lot of added dept.

 

[Kalimakhus]

What I meant by real ranged attack is exactly what you mentioned. I used the word real because in Civ4 terms archery units are called ranged units and their type of combat is called ranged attack though it is not realistic.

Once again I am all convinced with your approach. It is exactly what I wanted to see in the game. I also know that you make variables available for modders and they will use them.

Actually, I hope that you extend your work further toward a more realistic and more detailed combat model for Civ4. For instance the effects of terrain on combat are almost limited to static and defense modifiers. I hope to see modifiers that take dynamic factors into consideration. Cavalry attacking from hills down to flat land should have some bonus, a lesser bonus moving on flat land, and some negative penalty if charging into forests.

One thing I pointed before in some old posts elsewhere in the forum is the inability of cavalry to attack fortified cities. They shouldn't be able to attack walled cities in the first place. A unit info tag like <bCanAttackFortified> or something similar can be nice.

Some units should be limited only to ranged attack. Catapults are an example they should never move to attack units into an adjacent tile. They can range-attack them while in place only. Aslo Catapults and similar siege weapons shouldn't be able to defend. If left alone without defending forces they should be captured. In the other hand each time a stack is under attack any siege weapons in the stack should sustain collateral damage and eventually destroyed. Realistically they will always be a target for attacking forces. So as long as some defending forces are present continual attack can get siege weapons destroyed. If defending forces are destroyed and some siege weapons still stand they should be captured.

Anyway, I am happy with your ideas. Waiting to see them implemented. I don't work on a whole modpack of my own but I like merging worthy components into good mods and release my modifications as a patch. So once your work is out I will make sure to include it in more than one of the successful modpacks out there.

 

[Fanatic Demon]

One thing I pointed before in some old posts elsewhere in the forum is the inability of cavalry to attack fortified cities. They shouldn't be able to attack walled cities in the first place. A unit info tag like <bCanAttackFortified> or something similar can be nice.

I agree, But I can do better. I could make iAttackFortModifier which if 0 restricts a unit for attacking Forts. But it can also be increased to 200, for example for a pioneer/ flamethrower unit which are experts in attacking Fortifications. The problem is that the possibilities are endless For example, I could give units side and top armour, fuel, food and ammo limitations, etc, etc

I think I have to prioritise somehow For the moment I will try limit myself to ranged attack modifiers, which is a lot of work already.

 

[Fanatic Demon]

I just tested a great new feature: Range Combat Zone of Control. It allows units to automaticly attack units that move in their zone of control or move insite it. This feature will be great for naval units like submarines, which will automaticly attack pasing ships that move though its zone of control.

 

[Kalimakhus]

@Fanatic Demon

Any news about a beta release date? I just can't wait to try it

 

[Fanatic Demon]

Although I have been working very hard, progress has been slower then expected. However, If your intrested, I can upload a sneak preview tech demo version which will show what I have so far.

 

[Kalimakhus]

Of course I am interested. I understand that adding this number of new tags and the required supporting and implementing code should take time. A preview even if not working yet can help in getting early feedback from modders and those who can understand the code. I see great potentials in your ideas and this why I might be a little pushy. However, don't feel pressed in anyway and keep up the good work.

 

[Fanatic Demon]

I just tested a great new feature, which allows units to automaticly attack the best target in range while moving. This feature is great for units which are expert in attacking while moving, like Horse Archers, Gun Cavalry, Tanks, APV, Hellicopters, BattleShips and Missle Cruisers. Combined with Zone of Control, Battleship and Missle cruisers create zones of death and dustruction, which you can't even get close, unless your are fast (destroyers, torpedo boats), below the water line (submarine) or above (air planes). Wooden ships such as frigates will find themself hipelessly outdated when they can't even get close to the modern battleships.

 

[vingrjoe]

Fanatic Demon, if your mod proves fully successful, you may make me a full Civ4 convert !

 

[avain]

Fanatic Demon, will the AI be able to use all the features?

Otherwise, thanks for the awesome work!

 

[Fanatic Demon]

Fanatic Demon, will the AI be able to use all the features?

Otherwise, thanks for the awesome work!

Yes, they will. They will know when to atack at range and when they should attack at close range to kill more effective. However, I admit the AI still needs a lot of improvements, especialy when it comes to attacking at very long range (>2 range) like with missle cruisers.

 

[Fanatic Demon]

Fanatic Demon, if your mod proves fully successful, you may make me a full Civ4 convert !

Notise that is Mod is mainly ment as a Mod Component, that is used by Other great mod makers to improve their Civ4 Mods. Basicly the more peole use my Work, the happier I become

 

[Fanatic Demon]

Alright, I have uploaded a sneak preview version of the Ultimate Ranged Combat Mod.

you can download it from: http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/49944/Ultimate_Ranged_Combat_Mod_0.1.rar

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ultimate Ranged Combat Mod 0.1

This is a preview Tech demo version of my Ultimate Ranged Combat Mod.

The current version has implemented the following features:
- Multiple Ranged Attacks of 1 or more range
- Counter Ranged Attack
- Free Ranged Attack when Moving
- Ranged Zone of Control Defence which will automatically fire when a units moves into range
- Different Ranged Attack values versus Soft, Hard, Ship, Sub and Air Targets
- Ranged Armour Defence protects a unit again ranged attacks
- Ranged Armour Piercing allows the to penetrate ranged armour

Note that I have added these features to the UnitInfo XML file but I haven't taken the time to balance it perfectly.

To install, simply extract this fixe in your Beyond the Sword\Mods directory

 

[Kalimakhus]

Thanks a lot. I've been waiting eagerly for this preview to have an idea about how it works in the game.

Would it be to much to ask for source code as well. It would help to give a more informed feedback.

Thanks again. Gonna try it right away.