Bug Report

Heh, yeah, since this mod is almost 20 years old and been developed by dozens of people over the years, it is a bit of a mess internally. You might have seen I was trying to clean up the folder structure a bit, but I gave up at some point...
 
Well even i (i.e. in the relatively simple mod in comparison i am/was handling but anyways etc) was scared to modify _WARRIOR to _ANCIENT_MACEMAN in case it breaks something xd, although it should be safe if i'm not mistaken but who knows (with barbarians or whatever or some obscure xml i might not have imported from bts or such or some other unknown cause or whatever else or not but anyways etc), there are some very strange base civ4 things like LEADER_CHINESE or i forgot the exact name, TECH_UTOPIA (edit: because of censorship perhaps? But anyways etc) or whatever xddd, but yes i guess on a bigger scale like ri mod it may be a tougher battle xd. I didn't especially see the instance of cleaning up names in the 3.72 or such version i used (seemed safer to keep same version throughout all my mod development) but i guess it wasn't too bad once i got used to it (just the units are a bit hard to navigate with all their versions and variants and sometimes convoluted naming to be fair.. final, final_final, etc, i mean it's just how it is but it seems(/ed) a bit tangled). I maybe shouldn't compare, but in say c2c mod for example i could browse quite blindly their tech assets as far as i remember, like tech_my_tech_name has my_tech_name.dds or in said similar folder, it was very logical and nice, something i would have applied bit more as well ideally but that i think i didn't do too bad. But again this is more just like giving my overall impression, and for what little it is worth i cleaned a lot of my own mess xd later, but maybe is just how developping is xd at least for my mod, in all cases thanks and that's about all for me i guess xd (i don't have more bugs to report xd although discussion is nice), so thanks again ri assets are super cool (and edit: i had forgotten to mention the kingdom of benin unit nif as well (filipino something mentionned there in previous post edited thanks too hehe but anyways etc)) :)
 
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Yeah, naming consistency for tags is a bit of a sore spot - again, multiple people piled that on over the years; these days I try to be as consistent as I can, but there are lots of such, just as you mention.

A fun fact about LEADER_CHINESE: this is because the Chinese version of Civ 4 had Tang Taizong replacing Mao (due to Chinese legal weirdness about how one can and cannot depict Mao), so the tag was kept name-neutral.
 
Oh i see thanks, then i guess it's something similar with tech_utopia and communism perhaps, but it doesn't explain why they'd rename security bureau to NATIONAL_SECURITY (edit upon checking: which is just a regular civ4 building if i'm not mistaken.. but/yet it keeps talking about fbi and mi5 only xd, is national in asset name but generic in civ4 ingame visible name..., etc) or use the american flag for the internet project; i think there was definitely some us centrism in civ4 as well although not necessarily too major of a thing xd. Or glorifying mount rushmore ("no one was killed" xd it says literally in the description, which i was surprised to learn as i didn't know too much about these if at all but anyways etc and was only overhauling), or the undertones in the kremlin are cringe or infuriating xd ("has seen many great figures rise and fall", "perhaps the greatest service that any Russian ruler has ever performed for his country" (edit: note: somewhat excluding catherine the great or changing her sex/gender xd or ignorant or whatever (i don't necessarily know a lot about her nor have a side to defend xd but the tone is cringe/facepalm/infuriating bit xd but anyways etc)), "To whatever use it might be put in the future, the Kremlin will", etc). Ecology description is childish and historically totally off (by like 2 centuries from what i checked, reducing it to activism instead of the scientific field that started way earlier) (edit: this is so needless (tone/thoughts/speech to use) but anyways etc...). I didn't even care much about these before but i remember these since mentioning utopia and digging bit for fun, in my mod i replaced most things like that with wikipedia based or such and i think it's much saner at least i prefer it so xd but anyways etc; but there are some fun things too like "_OBELISK", sometimes meaning monument, sometimes meaning the egyptian obelisk, and vice versa the monument sometimes applying to the egyptian obelisk and sometimes to the monument, or something like this and even worse perhaps, so civ4 bts for all things it was good for did have some strange spaghetti itself (not italian spaghetti xd).

These are quite fun and there are some more, i may need to dig a bit to reminisce or look in my code comments or pedia entries as i fixed most/all i saw if not tedious so easier to find as such i mean i i may say but anyways etc

(About the monument in particular this is what i wrote in my code comments xd in the xml):

Spoiler monument xml xd :
<!-- custom: extremely confusing base Civ4 (and still in AdvCiv (even though did not have or maybe rather import all asset files to (easily?) allow that but anyways etc, that could have done or not but as far as i'm concerned (maybe(or not(, but anwyays etc))) and to go back on topic, anyways etc: ) but anyways etc anyways etc...)
naming of the obelisk, now renamed:
- BUILDINGCLASS_OBELISK (when relating(related?) to the monument building class and not the (non existent(/existing?))(egyptian) obelisk building class) (and all similar entries such as art file(i.e. XML asset) tag names and such) to BUILDINGCLASS_MONUMENT
- BUILDING_OBELISK (when relating(related?) to the monument building and not the (egyptian) obelisk building) (same as above) to BUILDING_MONUMENT
- (so) exception(s?) being: TXT_KEY_BUILDING_OBELISK to TXT_KEY_BUILDING_EGYPTIAN_OBELISK (to match the existing civ4 format that (quite if not lot but anyways etc at least and still to go back on topic anyways etc) makes/made sense)
- all the while keeping the original TXT_KEY_BUILDING_MONUMENT and similar, when applies/relating(relates?) to the monument building and not the obelisk building (can hardly be more confusing, i mean could but is about as confusing as it could or may have been in civ4, purposely or not, but anyways etc and hopefully a lot clearer now, and helpful or not, but in all cases or not anyways etc)
So now there are either MONUMENT for the building class monuments, and MONUMENT for the building monument (generic building for all civs), or EGYPTIAN_OBELISK only and specifically only for the egyptian obelisk building (that is still named ingame "Obelisk" though as no reason to introduce the nationality/country in the name i think, but hopefully a lot clearer in code now too, anyways etc, keeping the "egyptian" part in code name to clarify the confusion with original names, hopefully a lot clearer now, anyways etc)
-->

is getting a bit offtopic but nice and fun discussion for sure at least to me xd hehe thanks if i may say anyways etc :)
 
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Yep, it is a bit off-topic, but it's a good off-topic I have lots of comments on! :lol:

NATIONAL_SECURITY and other BtS stuff - in terms of game assets at least, it feels like BtS was outsourced or at least handed to a different team internally. A lot of units are made using techniques more similar to modders of the age than original devs (as if the new units' creators didn't have access to the original tools), and there are lots of "leftovers" in the assets. My guess is a lot of stuff got last-minute shifted around during BtS development, and not everything was strictly QCd to comply.

As for Kremlin, you're not even mentioning the fact that Civ 4 uses a nearby, but unrelated building to represent the Kremlin! It's as if they'd have used the Sphinx to represent the Pyramids! And yes, Civ series back in the day had this weird crush on Stalin (since the days of Civ 1 actually). Ironically, Civ 1-4 eras are a period he's been viewed most negatively in Russia itself historically, as for the last couple of decades, there's a creeping Stalinist revisionism in Russia that seeks to shift the angle back to mostly (or even entirely) positive appraisal - but at the time of Civ 4 release, any praise for Stalin would have raised most Russians' eyebrows.

The icon used for the Internet specifically is a meme from that age that nowadays most people don't get - it refers to Al Gore claiming to "have invented the internet" (which is not a thing he ever did say IRL, but it was a thing back in the day: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/internet-of-lies/). Otherwise yes, how US-centric Civ 4 was is among the original reasons for RI's existence.

"Ecology" is another sign of changing times - it was simply a commonly used name back in the day (inaccurate as it was) for what nowadays is called Environmentalism. In most day-to-day uses 25 years ago it'd refer not to the science, which ticked me off back then too, as actual Ecology as a science was one of the university courses I was taking back then - but it was just a part of the common language back then, and certainly not specific to Civ 4.

"_OBELISK" is a holdover from pre-DLC days. Civ-specific buildings weren't even a thing back then, and what is now the Egyptian obelisk simply served in the role of the current monument - hence the base class still being called "obelisk". The default monument was only added in Warlords, along with all civ-specific buildings.
 
Well yes but the description of the tech itself is still beyond childish, talking as if it was the stone age before their association or whatever was created, and men/women were all evil foolish ignorant tree burners/choopers, but thankfully their association or whatever (overlooking similar instances in other countries perhaps) were there.

It's interesting because it does feel like some civ4 entries were made by different people, i have noticed this while modding, some entries and asset names for example make a lot of sense, but some are all over the place and so unprofessional seeming xd if i may say but anyways etc, like kremlin entries (about that they didn't spare stalin it seems though upon rechecking: "Josef Stalin drove the German invaders from the gates of Moscow - perhaps the greatest service that any Russian ruler has ever performed for his country. (It was also here that Stalin planned the systematic extermination of millions of his own people.)"; oh but the mount rushmore builders didn't kill anyone, that must be great xd. (edit: as for me i stayed neutral or kept as such and only wanted to represent it accurately for better or worse that it was xd, as for stalin i don't remember if i changed his pedia entry unlike mao but anyways etc, but i did give him a nice leader-specific music if i may say but anyways etc (link in my mod's git readme's copyright section, but for stalin i had chosen this one for example: https://www.silvermansound.com/free-music/soviet-march?utm_source=chatgpt.com but anyways etc)). Obelisk entries were very clean in base civ4 it seems:

Spoiler base civ4 obelisk xml entry :
<BuildingInfo>
<BuildingClass>BUILDINGCLASS_OBELISK</BuildingClass>
<Type>BUILDING_OBELISK</Type>
<SpecialBuildingType>NONE</SpecialBuildingType>
<Description>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_OBELISK</Description>
<Civilopedia>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_OBELISK_PEDIA</Civilopedia>
<Strategy>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_OBELISK_STRATEGY</Strategy>
<Advisor>ADVISOR_CULTURE</Advisor>
<ArtDefineTag>ART_DEF_BUILDING_OBELISK</ArtDefineTag>
etc..
<ConstructSound>AS2D_BUILD_OBELISK</ConstructSound>

but then at some point, in bts i guess it became this for the monument building:
Spoiler civ4 bts "obelisk" (monument xml entry) :
<BuildingInfo>
<BuildingClass>BUILDINGCLASS_OBELISK</BuildingClass>
<Type>BUILDING_OBELISK</Type>
<SpecialBuildingType>NONE</SpecialBuildingType>
<Description>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_MONUMENT</Description>
<Civilopedia>TXT_KEY_NEW_BUILDING_MONUMENT_PEDIA</Civilopedia>
<Strategy>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_MONUMENT_STRATEGY</Strategy>
<Advisor>ADVISOR_CULTURE</Advisor>
<ArtDefineTag>ART_DEF_BUILDING_MONUMENT</ArtDefineTag>
etc..
<ConstructSound>AS2D_BUILD_OBELISK</ConstructSound>

and this for the egyptian obelisk (which was a nice distinction to make in asset name, if only it was consistent) (edit: note that txt key entries in bts "obelisk" vs "egyptian obelisk" are especially inconsistent, using "new" or "egyptian" optionally xd)
Spoiler civ4 bts "egyptian_obelisk" (egyptian obelisk xml entry) :
<BuildingInfo>
<BuildingClass>BUILDINGCLASS_OBELISK</BuildingClass>
<Type>BUILDING_EGYPTIAN_OBELISK</Type>
<SpecialBuildingType>NONE</SpecialBuildingType>
<Description>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_OBELISK</Description>
<Civilopedia>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_EGYPTIAN_OBELISK_PEDIA</Civilopedia>
<Strategy>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_EGYPTIAN_OBELISK_STRATEGY</Strategy>
<Advisor>ADVISOR_CULTURE</Advisor>
<ArtDefineTag>ART_DEF_BUILDING_EGYPTIAN_OBELISK</ArtDefineTag>
etc...
<ConstructSound>AS2D_BUILD_OBELISK</ConstructSound>

So it seems like some people made the right at least consistent names, while others did whatever or simply had another mind about it if i may say but anyways etc, and i noticed this in other entries too, so again if someone as you said were to say civ4 was possibly partially or totally outsourced, it would make sense when it comes to these and other ones, but again i don't know hehe as i'm not knowledgeable about these but thanks for feedback i mean thanks.

edit: also `PERIA_IMMORTAL` xd somehow carried out through the whole game assets

edit 2: about this, one of the things i liked to fix is the scandinavia entry, the berserker itself is super weird (and they use genghis khan button for barbarian, which i think i forgot to mention maybe(?) but that i took from your mod so thanks for thsi too hehe!) but at this point i didn't trust their entry, and used other onlie sources to highlight how the vikings were in fact a profession (from what i gathered of it in said sources as i'm otherwise not too knowledgeable about these except some vague cultural intuition/impression about it xd) while the nation were the norse/scandinavians, perhaps with the overlap causing the confusion as one of the sources say (many vikings were norse, but all norsemen were not vikings to paraphrase it, entry in my pedia xd but source i took it from was https://rideandseek.com/who-were-the-norsemen/ if it is accurate as i don't know too much to be sure but seemed reliable xd (but would ave to be checked if one wants to eb (extra) sure xd) so my unit is like TXT_KEY_UNIT_SCANDINAVIA_VIKING_PEDIA for the civ-specific unit of the scandinavian empire but anyways etc)
About the internet meme i didn't know! Yes seeing it like that it makes a lot of sense, but it is a bit short sighted though still xd to have made it such, for example i wanted to change advanced flight tech sound or unit promotions or whatever at some point to a helicopter meme too... (lower video sound xd as bit loud maybe):
, but then i thought better not xd and was bit tedious, which is maybe fine as such.

As for the kremlin building again for its location i mean but anyways etc, they did name "chichen itza" the world wonder, which would be like like having a "paris" or "washington" wonder xd if i'm not mistaken, in my mod i renamed it to temple of kukulcan which i think is an interesting perspective (shameless self promotion xd but anyways etc)
 
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Hello
for some reason, my SVN version wouldn't update. I clean up the main folder but my art folder (updated elsewhere for packing) disappeared. trying to recreate it but the link below "follow the instructions" does not work anymore:
"You may also pack your art assets if you'd like to improve your startup times. This can be a tricky process but if you'd like to try it you can follow the instructions."

Help
 
Hello
for some reason, my SVN version wouldn't update. I clean up the main folder but my art folder (updated elsewhere for packing) disappeared. trying to recreate it but the link below "follow the instructions" does not work anymore:
"You may also pack your art assets if you'd like to improve your startup times. This can be a tricky process but if you'd like to try it you can follow the instructions."

Help
It also happened to me, but, finally worked after a computer "Restart"
 
Ah no, it's not supposed to work. I thought you meant SVN not working, which can sometimes happen if SourceForge glitches. The SVN instructions are in the first post of the mod thread here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/realism-invictus.411799/
I know, the link I posted is from that thread :).

I want to do this part "You may also pack your art assets if you'd like to improve your startup times. This can be a tricky process but if you'd like to try it you can follow the instructions." and I can't follow the instructions because I can't open the link
 
Hey is this where i can share a CtD?
SVN version, was having a fine campaign as Gandhi. Got to war against Askia and.... hit next turn at 792 and it crashes....

both saves, including auto
 

Attachments

R5524, downloaded the checkout in october 17th
 
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