BTS Unaltered Gameplay Project

[alerum68]

Front page updated with latest version and text from Readme and todo list.

Any more news on the subforum? Or do we just wait til 1.0 is released?

@QCFrogMan - Correct, you can use this with any standard game, even if it's already in play if you copy it to the CustomAssets directory. This will not change any of the gameplay for you, and allow you to load any save game that wasn't started with a standard MOD. Besides the interface changes, you won't notice a thing different about games you've started in the past.

 

[EmperorFool]

Alerum beat me to it, so I'll just add that it won't work if you check "Lock Modified Assets" when you start a custom game. Same if you are using a mod that has that option set in its INI file. Most likely you won't know what I'm talking about*, which means it won't affect you.

* Only because it's a very oddly-named option that most players simply ignore.

 

[EmperorFool]

Custom Domestic Advisor is integrated and working. I've added the "espionage" and "espionage defense modifier" columns for BtS. There are other columns I'd like to add for completeness ("turns until border expansion", "turns until GP birth"), but they aren't new to BtS and can wait. Can anyone think of new columns that should be added due to new features in BtS. Corporations I would guess -- ouch that will be a lot more work. Any others?

Also note that I excluded the DLL, and now it won't jump to the city and open the city screen. Since the original DA does this, I'm hoping I can fix it without a DLL change.

 

[alerum68]

Is great news EF!

Another addition, if possible. The liberate button to become clickable?

I can't wait... seems this is coming together very nicely.

Update on Sourceforge. I updated the docs and task list, but I'm having a problem upload to the SVN on sourceforge. I have it set up properly in WinSCP but it says that the host doesn't exist. I know the host is working because I can access it from Firefox. I have no idea what is going on.

Anyway, what does this mean? Time for us to stop being lazy and use the damn thing.

 

[Ket]

Alerum beat me to it, so I'll just add that it won't work if you check "Lock Modified Assets" when you start a custom game. Same if you are using a mod that has that option set in its INI file. Most likely you won't know what I'm talking about*, which means it won't affect you.

* Only because it's a very oddly-named option that most players simply ignore.

Lets get Ruff_Hi's input on that.... I would expect that that option may be used in HOF & SG

 

[QcFrogMan]

Alerum beat me to it, so I'll just add that it won't work if you check "Lock Modified Assets" when you start a custom game. Same if you are using a mod that has that option set in its INI file. Most likely you won't know what I'm talking about*, which means it won't affect you.

* Only because it's a very oddly-named option that most players simply ignore.

thanks alerum, and EF.

FWIW, I checked how I usually start my game and that "Lock Modified Assets" is not checked. Also, for now I'm playing with a vanilla BtS, no mods installed (or loaded) other than the BlueEarth for the look and stuff, but that doesn't count as a mod, does it?

QFM

 

[ruff_hi]

Also, for now I'm playing with a vanilla BtS, no mods installed (or loaded) other than the BlueEarth for the look and stuff, but that doesn't count as a mod, does it?

BlueMarble? No - BUG and BlueMarble should be compatible.

 

[Ket]

Is unit renaming really working now?

 

[alerum68]

FYI - Playing with Blue Marble too and running into no problems.

Good news on the File Repository front:

The BUG Project File Repository.

Is 100% operational, with the most current version and readme files.

Also, made another little addition to the project.... should make it easier for people to install.... everyone likes binaries, right?

PLEASE I BEG YOU! Use the repository. Once you get it setup you can get the most current version in progress, with a click from Windows Explorer. Also, as soon as you make a working change to the code, do the same thing. Took me a while to figure it all out, but it's pretty simple once you get it set up, and I was doing admin stuff. So, please use it... this will allow everyone to work on it at once, instead of just waiting for EF to take a break and let the rest of us have a go.

 

[QcFrogMan]

BlueMarble? No - BUG and BlueMarble should be compatible.

oops, yeah, brain fart here, it's Blue Marble obviously.

Thanks for the answer...

FM

 

[Cammagno]

Hi,
a lot of things to say, so let's start

0) A lot of good work done, so thanks to everybody! ^_^

1) Even if you are developing, I've started my translation work, so here you can find the 3 xml files with updated/added Italian translation
http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/74513/Cammagno_s_Adds_to_BUG.zip

2) in the same zip, you'll find also a BUG_Structure.doc file, in which I've put the structure of BUG Mod. It is something that I usually do for all the mod before installing them, to know exactly which files they install and where, to make future merges/changes/uninstalls/etc more easy. So, I suggest that maybe (if you think it's good) it can be added inside the Mod zip file of official releases (no problem for me to keep it updated, I'll do it in any case), maybe in a Documentation subdirectory together with BUG Readme.doc file (that I suggest to add to the zip file too).

3) I've some problem with installation of the BUG Mode, so probably I've not understood well the instructions in the Readme file ^_^;
Let see:
a) I've located the BtS folder, that for me (with Vista OS) is C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword
b) I've renamed CustomAssets folder inside it (C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\CustomAssets) [by the way, not so clear here, I've to make a backup copy of it or to rename the original one? And why?]
c) I've unzipped the zip file's content inside the BtS folder, so that BUG Mod.ini goes directly inside it and all the other stuff goes inside the assets folder (to be clear: BUG Mod.ini inside C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword and all other files inside C:\Users\username\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\assets)

I must have done something wrong, because nothing happens, it loads the vanilla interface, and pressing Ctrl-Alt-O does nothing ^_^;

 

[Ket]

Welp, I released version 2.0.2.0 of the composite at this point it has some of the things I'm considering for the first flavor release and this will also put the mod into a wider scale of use. At version 2.0.2.1 it will diverge from the flavor add on.....

I wanted to discuss Bad Ronald's Flags which should be out for BTS "Soon"
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=194319

I think we should have this in our main unaltered mod... If not ill toss it in the flavor mod, but this will be a simple merge for the unaltered and should go on our to do list... (IMHO)

 

[Ket]

Hmmm Vista and Registry... YIKES
I guess its good that the registry stuff was removed!!!!!!!!

 

[EmperorFool]

QcFrogMan, Blue Marble puts its graphics into your CustomAssets directory, so it's not a mod and will work with other mods, including ours.

Ket, unit renaming is not included yet. That should be easy to port (hopefully no real work there).

Cammagno, I've included the Italian translations and the structure doc. Thanks! My only concern with the latter is that it's easy to forget to add a new file and keep it up-to-date. I'll try though.

The reason the mod isn't working for you is because I am now ZIPping it up from my mods folder, so the directory is now called "Assets" instead of "CustomAssets". This is why the renaming procedure seemed odd to you but actually makes sense. If you rename that directory, it should work fine.

Ket, the registry is still used on Windows. While I could use Python's built-in modules to find the install directory, the registry will be needed to get the user's My Documents folder.

Also, we'll need someone with a Mac to test it because I don't know the structure of how BtS is installed on MacOS. I suspect the directories in CvPath.py are incorrect (no mention of BtS).

 

[Cammagno]

Cammagno, I've included the Italian translations and the structure doc. Thanks! My only concern with the latter is that it's easy to forget to add a new file and keep it up-to-date. I'll try though. .

Oh, well, my suggestion of the inclusion of the structure.doc file was intended only for "real" releases (we can call them "public" ones), not for "working" versions, because I know that it's a pain to keep it updated.
So, if you prefer, you can avoid to do it, and I can do it for you; I'll do it in any case fom my personal use (I like to test mod, and to do it I need to know exactly which files they put in my directories) and post the risult here (and/or somewhere else) after every "working" release.. the only problem is that in this way the updated file can't be inside the zip, but the updated file can be added only to the public releases, while the working ones can be left without it or with the previous one. I hope that I've been able to explain clearly enough what I mean ^^;

The reason the mod isn't working for you is because I am now ZIPping it up from my mods folder, so the directory is now called "Assets" instead of "CustomAssets". This is why the renaming procedure seemed odd to you but actually makes sense. If you rename that directory, it should work fine.

So you mean that I've to rename the folder Assets caming from the zip file into CustomAssets? Oh, now everything is clear ^_^

Ok, now it loads, but not properly. Almost all the text is gone from the menus, including the main ones (the ones used to load the game or start a new one) and the in-game ones... only the text added by BUG mode is visible.

I think it's something related with localized version, because the same problem arised in the past with another mod and it was discovered that it was so.

Edit: Ok, confirmed, it is so, if I manually force the game to english version (through the ini file) the text is back. So I suppose that as it is, the call to the bug menus goes over the call for the localized ones, "overwriting" it instead of adding over it. Again, I hope that I've been able to explain properly [remember that English is not my language, so be patient with my msgs, please ^^;]
If you have problems to figure out a solution, I can search the forum for the past solution with that other mod I spoke about above, but it may be a not-so-easy search ^_^;

 

[ruff_hi]

Ket, unit renaming is not included yet. That should be easy to port (hopefully no real work there).

I'm claiming dibs on the unit naming mods. I'm thinking of folding in the ones from my mod - are there any others that people want included? Alerum mentioned one with levels (private, sarge, captain, major, etc) - does anyone have a link to that one? Any others?

 

[EmperorFool]

I've added Culture Turns and Great Person Turns on City Screen (optionally, of course) and as columns in the CustDomAdv. I've also switched back to working in my CustomAssets directory. I hope that isn't too confusing, but it will be the last switch.

Commagno, I think I understand what you wrote about the text issues, but I don't see how it would cause a problem. While BUG has some XML GameText files, it doesn't have any with the same names as the standard game. You're really talking about the main menu "Single Player", "Load Game", etc?

Anyway, here's the new version: BUG Mod 0.11.zip

Edit: I'll update SourceForge once Alerum adds my account.

 

[EmperorFool]

I'm claiming dibs on the unit naming mods. I'm thinking of folding in the ones from my mod - are there any others that people want included? Alerum mentioned one with levels (private, sarge, captain, major, etc) - does anyone have a link to that one? Any others?

Sounds great! Does this mean you have BtS now?

The thread that Alerum mentioned is here. As far as I can tell, it never went past the "gee this would be cool" stage, unless there's a second thread I didn't find. As well, the idea was to continuously rename units as they gained experience, which is quite different from the other methods in your mod.

 

[ruff_hi]

Sounds great! Does this mean you have BtS now?

It is on its way, currently somewhere in USPS land (from the USPS website ... "Enroute, August 13, 2007, 8:55 pm, JERSEY CITY, NJ 07097"!!!). I expect it will be delivered tomorrow.

The thread that Alerum mentioned is here. As far as I can tell, it never went past the "gee this would be cool" stage, unless there's a second thread I didn't find. As well, the idea was to continuously rename units as they gained experience, which is quite different from the other methods in your mod.

Hmmn - I (sort of) like the idea but I don't think it can be linked to XPs ... as far as I know, there isn't an event linked to XPs. There is an event linked to promotions so I could do that. However, I would only want to rename units that had started with this naming convention. Will have a think about it and throw some code together.

 

[Cammagno]

Commagno, I think I understand what you wrote about the text issues, but I don't see how it would cause a problem. While BUG has some XML GameText files, it doesn't have any with the same names as the standard game. You're really talking about the main menu "Single Player", "Load Game", etc?.

Well, I'm speaking of all the text, included the main screen before the games starts ("Single Player", "load Game" and so on), all of the screens for creating a new game (the only visible things are the name of the scenarios and mods) and all the in-game screens, included advisors' ones and civpedia and so on. The only visible text is the text from BUG.

As I've told, the problem is surely linked to the localized version, because changing the language in the CivilizationIV.ini from italian (3) to english (0), all the text (obviously in English) is there again. So, maybe you can reproduce the problem doing the inverse operation, from 0 to 3... I'm not sure that it's the same as if the game has been installed in Italian, but you may try...

Anyway, here's the new version: BUG Mod 0.11.zip.

I'll make the Structure file and post it

Here it is:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/74513/Bug_Structure.zip
I've chosen to only report the folders which has files inside them.