Civilization Specific Art Mod

[NikNaks]

Just wondering if anything like this is possible, and if so, where I'd need to look.

Essentially, I want the unit artstyle to be able to change by era. So, instead of just having:

			<UnitArtStyleType>UNIT_ARTSTYLE_EUROPEAN</UnitArtStyleType>

... for the English civ, you'd have something like this:

			<EarlyUnitArtStyleType>UNIT_ARTSTYLE_CELTIC</EarlyUnitArtStyleType><MiddleUnitArtStyleType>UNIT_ARTSTYLE_EUROPEAN</MiddleUnitArtStyleType><LateUnitArtStyleType>UNIT_ARTSTYLE_BRITISH</LateUnitArtStyleType>

This would negate the need to have unique artstyles for every civ, and is a much cleaner way of doing it, IMHO. But if it's too complicated, I guess it's non-essential.

Also, while on the subject, would there be any way to add an art definition for every era, and not have them clumped into early/middle/late? It seems daft to have such great art for modern settlers either ignored or appearing in the Victorian era.

 

[The_J]

Also, while on the subject, would there be any way to add an art definition for every era, and not have them clumped into early/middle/late? It seems daft to have such great art for modern settlers either ignored or appearing in the Victorian era.

click me

 

[Asaf]

What's the advantage of placing the "EarlyUnitArtStyleType" in the civilization info instead of using a unit art style type info?

And if you're interested in building's unique art as well - check out cool3a2's Paprika mod, which is based on my Ethnic Buildings mod.

 

[NikNaks]

click me

Hey! Thanks for that. That's half the battle.

What's the advantage of placing the "EarlyUnitArtStyleType" in the civilization info instead of using a unit art style type info?

I'm not suggesting we define every era style in here instead, but I just thought it might be a cleaner way of doing things that'd cut down on a lot of XML and repetition there. For instance, instead of having to define workers and settlers 10 or so times for the European civs, you'd define it for Celtic, Germanic and Hellenic, perhaps, and then choose a style from each. But then in the late game, when the units are more distinctive, they switch to a more distinctive style of their own.

I don't know. It seemed like a good idea in theory, but maybe its use isn't that great. xD

And if you're interested in building's unique art as well - check out cool3a2's Paprika mod, which is based on my Ethnic Buildings mod.

Looks interesting! Is there unique art for most civs for each era, or is it mainly the functionality?

 

[Asaf]

Ethnic Buildings is functionality only, and AFAIK so is Paprika.

 

[NikNaks]

Hm, so it would be a matter of perhaps reworking GeoModder's work into this format?

 

[Asaf]

If that's the art you want to use
It'll have to be converted from the City LSystem to the new Building Art Style.

 

[NikNaks]

Well, it seems like as good a base as any! Much better than working from scratch, I reckon.

Any ideas with the changing artstyle?

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Any ideas with the changing artstyle?

I've put a few new tags into BAT's XML.

<bFemale>0</bFemale>  [COLOR=Red] // There for SaibotLeih's Female units[/COLOR]
<bAltArt>0</bAltArt>     [COLOR=Red]// New[/COLOR]
<iAltArtChance>0</iAltArtChance>    [COLOR=Red]// New[/COLOR]

<ElementType name="EarlyArtDefineTag" content="textOnly"/>
    <ElementType name="LateArtDefineTag" content="textOnly"/>
    <ElementType name="MiddleArtDefineTag" content="textOnly"/>
    <ElementType name="AltEarlyArtDefineTag" content="textOnly"/>   [COLOR=Red] // New[/COLOR]
    <ElementType name="AltLateArtDefineTag" content="textOnly"/>      [COLOR=Red]// New[/COLOR]
    <ElementType name="AltMiddleArtDefineTag" content="textOnly"/>  [COLOR=Red]// New[/COLOR]
    <ElementType name="UnitMeshGroup" content="eltOnly">
        <element type="EarlyArtDefineTag" minOccurs="0"/>
        <element type="LateArtDefineTag" minOccurs="0"/>
        <element type="MiddleArtDefineTag" minOccurs="0"/>
        <element type="AltEarlyArtDefineTag" minOccurs="0"/>   [COLOR=Red] // New[/COLOR]
        <element type="AltLateArtDefineTag" minOccurs="0"/>      [COLOR=Red]// New[/COLOR]
        <element type="AltMiddleArtDefineTag" minOccurs="0"/>  [COLOR=Red]// New[/COLOR]
    </ElementType>

The additions allow you to add a second, alternate art tag to either replace the existing art, or to replace the original art with a different version, based on a percentage chance.

For instance, you can have a 50/50 chance that a Warrior unit could be replaced with Zombie art work when the unit is built. The chances of it happening can be modified, so that if you're running the Theocracy Civic, it's an 80% chance for a Zombie.

It doesn't change the unit itself, only the graphics and animation. It would still be a Warrior, but look like a Zombie.

I did this as an easier way of getting SaibotLeih's girls into the game, without a big Python mess. The original Python that I wrote with EF's help was a stop gap method, and now that I have the time I'm doing it in the SDK.