Colonization Mod for Civ IV

Arne · Jun 7, 2006

True, it's a shame, only a few people are writing here and sharing ideas.

C~G said:
it's unfortunate that it would be very difficult to mod it in.

I agree, it will be hard, but may be this thread will help creating such units - if there a solution will be found. I always thought, the Civ3 privateer is an original rollover from Colonize, so I think, this kind of neutral unit would work here as well.

PeterTheGreat · Jul 2, 2006

*bump*

As one of those who have a big interest in seeing a mod like this being made for Civ4 I read this thread in the colonization sub-forum:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=176040

They might have some ideas for this mod.

Peter

lostkiwi · Jul 3, 2006

Colonization was an awesome game for its time.

What I loved about it was the economical aspects of the game and the fact it wasn't only about building the structure to support a huge army and destroying everybody else (though the endgame was exactly that)

The resource and marketplace concepts were particularly neat:

You could harvest and sell tobacco as is but you could also build a factory in one of your cities and transform the tobacco into cigars and sell it that way for more. It forced not only more city specialization but also a very active trading network as you needed to transport your raw materials to the production sites then on to the market where you could sell them.

The marketplace where you could sell the resources was simple yet cool. Prices would go down significantly if you kept selling the same thing over and over again and rare items would be in high demand.

I dont know how easily those concepts can be modded into civ4 but I have been starving for an economy based strategy game since I upgraded my computer and colonization stopped working!

Greybriar · Jul 6, 2006

Reveilled started this thread about the Colonization pre-made map for Civ 4 he had made.

I don't know if it is playable using the latest patch though.

C~G · Jul 7, 2006

Unfortunately it seems people aren't too interested about the mod.

The map doesn't help because I think the replayable value of this colonization mod would be high if it would contain random map rather than pre-made.

If it happens that I have time during/after august I might start try to do this mod. I don't have experience of any civilization IV mod making but I could give it a try. I'll probably start new thread if as said I have time so much in my hands that I could learn to do it. Maybe others join then to make this mod happen.

If the mod would contain simplified economy without real trade enviroment and units would remain the same from beginning to end I think the mod could become reality even without huge amount of experience of mod making.

But we do need volunteers and I would like to start discussing even now in this thread what would be the european countries unique units, traits and leaders. I'm talking about the colonial leaders not kings and queens. So the countries would probably be Spain, England, France, Dutch and Portugal.

I would like to know also what natives should be in the game? I think they shouldn't be playable at least in the first version since the tech tree would work as continental congress for the Europeans. Which leads to discussion of who of founding fathers should be added and what they would give to the colonial power.

Also there's the question of civicks. They could describe the different elements of independency of colonies from the motherland.

Like I said we could start discussing this and maybe we could this mod going after all.
We have to start from somewhere if we ever want it ready...

I really wish there's more answers to this than mere echo of my own voice.

Padmewan · Jul 7, 2006

take a look at the new hype thread by TheLopez. It's exactly what you are looking for.

C~G · Jul 7, 2006

Yes, that seems to be definately important addition to the mod components.

It is just damned that I don't have more time in my hands. Otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to start.

It's a pity there isn't easy editor to use for mod making of Civilization IV because now it takes more time to learn the elegant ropes of those editing features.

C~G · Jul 30, 2006

*Bump*

Just asking again whether anyone's interested about this mod or not?

After few weeks I try to get my hands into Warlords-expansion and then try to see whether there's possibility I could start making this mod. It will take time for sure and I will start with very simple model at first, seeking ways to expand it later. I really would like to see this mod happen but currently not sure how it could happen.

So I'm asking for help.
My heart for sure would sing the joyful song if this mod could become true in the near future.

t-force · Oct 18, 2006

I know absolutely nothing about mod creation, or anything related to it, but I sure would love to see a a Colonization mod, and I'd be happy to beta test it, if required.

C~G · Oct 18, 2006

Unfortunately my time schedule currently don't offer such things as mod making. Especially since I don't have real experience about XML editing and python which would require great deal amount of time first to learn.

I'm willing to contribute though if we get the team up and running.

There's no dearer wish than see this mod come true some day but unfortunately it seems nobody is interested to make it reality currently.

joelwest · Mar 30, 2007

C~G said:
Unfortunately it seems people aren't too interested about the mod.

The map doesn't help because I think the replayable value of this colonization mod would be high if it would contain random map rather than pre-made.

When this thread was started I owned Col for Windows but had never played it.

I did start playing Col for Windows recently but not surprisingly I find its DOS derived static isometric interface very clunky. (In fact recently going back from Civ 4 to Civ 3 the latter seems all too quaint since there was no reveal mode for tiles meaning each every one of them had to be inspected for possible city placement locations.)

FreeCol as an attempt to reinvent the game cleaned up some of the clunkier interface problems, but in striving to clone the original Colonization inherited all of its gameplay problems.

Hence I went to Civ 4 section to find out if someone had made a Col mod. Following this thread leads to a Col derived map with optional starting locations and civ derived starting units, but this is not the same as the original Col gameplay.

My own desire for a Col mod for Civ 4 would to keep what worked in Col and jettison what did not.

In particular, having the choice of dragoon=soldier with horse, soldier=colonist with musket as the only two military units was a pain. Defeat in battle did not lead to lower health, but a stripping of first the horse and then the musket. In that both were expensive to either manufacture, breed, or import this led to the tendency to replay any failed battles hoping the next outcome would be better. Hardly a very strategic way of playing.

If the mod would contain simplified economy without real trade environment and units would remain the same from beginning to end I think the mod could become reality even without huge amount of experience of mod making.

recreating the trading with the home port would be a royal pain to mod.

optional trading with the home port of the other European powers or with the Indians would be similar to the builtin Civ 4 trade mechanism, yet remember each Native settlement "preferred" some goods over others and only trained a colonist to become only one of the advanced nonmilitary unit types.

I would like to start discussing in this thread what would be the European countries' unique units, traits and leaders. I'm talking about the colonial leaders not kings and queens. So the countries would probably be Spain, England, France, the Dutch, and Portugal.

each European power had a different starting advantage in Col, but many felt the advantages of the Dutch were far superior to the other three countries. if starting advantages are to be modeled after Col the other three European powers need more help to offset a free ship cargo space upgrade and stable commodity prices during trades of the Dutch.

I would like to know also what Natives should be in the game? I think they shouldn't be playable at least in the first version since the tech tree would work as continental congress for the Europeans.

keep in mind not only would Natives not be playable but their special unit, the Indian convert, has no analog is any version of Civ I know of, and so would be a pain to code. It is a unit that appears either "spontaneously" or when a Native city is razed/captured (the same action in Col). It farms better but is worse in a factory. It also cannot found a city.

Speaking of which, strictly speaking the settler of Civ 4 would have to jettisoned entirely. ALL units in Col can found cities and once all the population stops working in a city it is abandoned. There is a non-Civ distinction of which units work in a city and which units are outside its gates but in the city square tile. The latter do not contribute to the population.

Speaking of which Col has no city maintenance or unit upkeep.

Which leads to discussion of who of which of the 25 founding fathers [of col] should be added and what they would give to the colonial power.

purists will shrink but I do think there is room to improve the 25 founding fathers. some of them have ridiculously powere (Henry Hudson doubles fur output thus driving down the price), or unwanted powers (LaSalle gives each pop 3 city a stockade with the undesirable side effect of making it hard to abandon the city short of having the Natives sack it).

Also there's the question of civics. They could describe the different elements of independency of colonies from the motherland.

This would be an easy way to try to simulate the endgame, but would not do the current endgame justice.

There needs to be new code for this mod to trigger an entirely new power, the mother country, to come into being only after Independence is declared. Technically the mother country exists beforehand, but the number of its invasion units is set in stone (I believe), so all the taxes it collects from its colonies in the New World are meaningless to the endgame.

The AI would have to rewritten so it knows to only attack port cities and not units or inland cities.

Speaking of which the victory condition of Independence is unlike any current victory condition and so would also have to added. Liberty bells as contributors to Independence would presumably show up in the city screen. Perhaps Culture can be adapted to become Liberty Bells?

Like I said we could start discussing this and maybe we could this mod going after all.
We have to start from somewhere if we ever want it ready...

I really wish there's more answers to this than mere echo of my own voice.

at this point all I can offer is gameplay suggestions and beta testing due to weak coding skills in XML and python.

Gaius Octavius · Apr 1, 2007

I always liked the Colonization game, and would love to see a Civ 4 mod of it. Too bad there doesn't seem to be that much interest. :confused:

Elucidus · May 16, 2007

I am working on a colonization mod. My goal though is not to make it as purely colonization as possible, but to make it as close as we can without adopting bad gameplay elements, either from the way colonization worked, or the way we may have to work around some of the limitations we have here. I want it to have the feel of colonization, the overall gameplay, but some of the details changed. I will need help with this. I have made mods in the past (The Balancer for Civ3, TBX for PTW and I was more of a consultant on TBX-R for C3C), so I have experience, though civ4 is a lot more moddable.

So if anyone wants to help, with testing, with script writing, whatever you can bring to the table, PM me.

GoodGame · May 18, 2007

Having played Colonization, diplomacy is nice, but not crucial.
The real aim of Colonization is independence generated by a non-tile resource called "Liberty Bells".
There's also no "Commerce" tile resource, but instead you generate various levels of raw material, and upgrade it through colony buildings and specialists, and then physically transport it for sale to Europe.

Thru the liberty bells, you earn analogous Great People that give specific perks and bonuses, but are also analogous to the parts of the Space Race.
Basically special buildings allow liberty bells at different rates, and specialists (Statesmen) improve the rate of liberty bells better.

Probably the way to mod it is make a Statesman specialist (e.g. Sevo mod) generate the new tile resource, and allow new buildings to amplify it. The liberty bells would then amplify the GP rate, and popped GP could instantly produce buildings (like a GE), of which most would light up the Space Race victory screen. Secondly, have a turn counter, at which time the game is over (representing Europe invading you), or at least Barb attacks start (representing Europe invading you). Or just script the motherland to attack you for x turns after the space race is finished, and if you survive, victory!

The best economic difference between Colonization and CIV is that resources have to be taken to market. So you need a tile resource equivalent to bonus resource (so instead of a spice plantation = 6 gold, it will equal 6 spices). Then take the tile equivalent to a factory to transform it into a more profitable resource, and/or take it to an international market for sale.

The second difference is that supply and demand laws are in effect.
Oversaturate the market, and the demand (gold coins paid) goes down for a while. This stat is kept for the global market, and not just for your civ. This could be made even more realistic by creating several international banks and market centers to represent a system of markets. So if Germany+Italy are separated from England+France, they make to separate global markets (1 and 2) you could sell some resources to #1 and some to #2, but because they weren't communicating, the supply and demand effect on #1 wouldn't be felt on #2 (so you could sell 50% to each and get less of a demand drop).

Padmewan said:
Belizan is doing Colonization of the Moon and I am doing Colonization of a hypothetical distant planet in the medium-future.

However, after reading up on Colonization I do want to incorporate some of its ideas into our mod. I am thinking of using fictional space colonization as an allegory of European colonization, specifically of America (as that's the instance I'm most familiar with).

Two aspects that I think we can collaborate on:

1. Economic model. The Civ4 economic model is better than Civ3, but still naive. The calculated trade routes are great, but in a colonization mod I suspect you want more control about who trades with whom and how. In our mod, trading partners will not even exist on the map but be in nearby systems and Earth. Not sure if Colonization has the Old World on the map or not, and whether you want it. If not, then we both need to find a way to change the economic model.

2. Diplomacy. SM's Colonization, from what I've read, involves diplomacy among the colonies with the ultimate aim of overthrowing the colonial power. I would like to mod the UN to function more like a federation among our colonies. Not sure how you are thinking about diplomacy in yours.

As we are attempting a "remix" of SMAC, it would be really interesting to throw in some elements of SM's C as well...

Elucidus · May 18, 2007

Yep. I set up a forum where I am posting my ideas for dealing with issues such as these.

Not sure if i am allowed to post it on the site, but it is:
http://z4.invisionfree.com/cdgroup/index.php?showforum=4

GoodGame · May 18, 2007

oops, didn't realize this was a semi-zombie thread.

The last post got me thinking of an Economics mod, which was my favorite part of Colonization. I might be interested in collaborating on that if you think it'd port over to your mod.

Why not just continue hijacking this thread? :lol:

Elucidus said:
Yep. I set up a forum where I am posting my ideas for dealing with issues such as these.

Not sure if i am allowed to post it on the site, but it is:
http://z4.invisionfree.com/cdgroup/index.php?showforum=4

Jeckel · May 20, 2007

I am working on a scenario that mainly revolves around units entering Native Villages and getting a popup with different actions they can take. When its done it should be pretty easy to adapt it to a Colonization mod.

Jeckel · May 20, 2007

As for getting this mod off the ground, there are many simple (<== read time consumeing and/or repetative) things that need to be done and require little to no coding knowledge.

1) We need a complete list of all the units in Colonization. This will make the next items alot easyer to accomplish. Of the top of my head, Colonist, Statesman, Distiller, Lumberjack, Pioneer.. and alot I know I'm forgetting.

2) A new unit needs to be entered in the XML files for each unit in Col. As an example of what is need I have shown the entries for a Colonist unit below.

2a) CIV4UnitClassInfos.xml

Code:

		<UnitClassInfo>
			<Type>UNITCLASS_COLONIST</Type>
			<Description>TXT_KEY_UNIT_COLONIST</Description>
			<iMaxGlobalInstances>-1</iMaxGlobalInstances>
			<iMaxTeamInstances>-1</iMaxTeamInstances>
			<iMaxPlayerInstances>-1</iMaxPlayerInstances>
			<DefaultUnit>UNIT_COLONIST</DefaultUnit>
		</UnitClassInfo>

2b) CIV4UnitInfos.xml
Note that I am using the Settler artdefine and button, since we don't have graphics for the units yet just do the same for all the units. For the same reason I am not including any artdefine entries in this as those will be done individually as we get each unit graphic.

Code:

		<UnitInfo>
			<Class>UNITCLASS_COLONIST</Class>
			<Type>UNIT_COLONIST</Type>
			<UniqueNames/>
			<Special>NONE</Special>
			<Capture>NONE</Capture>
			<Combat>NONE</Combat>
			<Domain>DOMAIN_LAND</Domain>
			<DefaultUnitAI>NONE</DefaultUnitAI>
			<Invisible>NONE</Invisible>
			<SeeInvisible>NONE</SeeInvisible>
			<Description>TXT_KEY_UNIT_COLONIST</Description>
			<Civilopedia>TXT_KEY_UNIT_COLONIST_PEDIA</Civilopedia>
			<Strategy>TXT_KEY_UNIT_COLONIST_STRATEGY</Strategy>
			<Advisor>ADVISOR_MILITARY</Advisor>
			<bAnimal>0</bAnimal>
			<bFood>0</bFood>
			<bNoBadGoodies>0</bNoBadGoodies>
			<bOnlyDefensive>0</bOnlyDefensive>
			<bNoCapture>0</bNoCapture>
			<bRivalTerritory>0</bRivalTerritory>
			<bMilitaryHappiness>0</bMilitaryHappiness>
			<bMilitarySupport>0</bMilitarySupport>
			<bMilitaryProduction>0</bMilitaryProduction>
			<bPillage>0</bPillage>
			<bSabotage>0</bSabotage>
			<bDestroy>0</bDestroy>
			<bStealPlans>0</bStealPlans>
			<bInvestigate>0</bInvestigate>
			<bCounterSpy>0</bCounterSpy>
			<bFound>0</bFound>
			<bGoldenAge>0</bGoldenAge>
			<bInvisible>0</bInvisible>
			<bFirstStrikeImmune>0</bFirstStrikeImmune>
			<bNoDefensiveBonus>0</bNoDefensiveBonus>
			<bIgnoreBuildingDefense>0</bIgnoreBuildingDefense>
			<bCanMoveImpassable>0</bCanMoveImpassable>
			<bFlatMovementCost>0</bFlatMovementCost>
			<bIgnoreTerrainCost>0</bIgnoreTerrainCost>
			<bNukeImmune>0</bNukeImmune>
			<bPrereqBonuses>0</bPrereqBonuses>
			<bPrereqReligion>0</bPrereqReligion>
			<bMechanized>0</bMechanized>
			<UnitClassUpgrades/>
			<UnitClassTargets/>
			<UnitCombatTargets/>
			<UnitClassDefenders/>
			<UnitCombatDefenders/>
			<UnitAIs/>
			<NotUnitAIs/>
			<Builds/>
			<ReligionSpreads/>
			<GreatPeoples/>
			<Buildings/>
			<ForceBuildings/>
			<HolyCity>NONE</HolyCity>
			<ReligionType>NONE</ReligionType>
			<StateReligion>NONE</StateReligion>
			<PrereqReligion>NONE</PrereqReligion>
			<PrereqBuilding>NONE</PrereqBuilding>
			<PrereqTech>NONE</PrereqTech>
			<TechTypes/>
			<BonusType>NONE</BonusType>
			<PrereqBonuses/>
			<ProductionTraits/>
			<Flavors/>
			<iAIWeight>0</iAIWeight>
			<iCost>-1</iCost>
			<iHurryCostModifier>0</iHurryCostModifier>
			<iMinAreaSize>-1</iMinAreaSize>
			<iMoves>1</iMoves>
			<iAirRange>0</iAirRange>
			<iNukeRange>-1</iNukeRange>
			<iWorkRate>0</iWorkRate>
			<iBaseDiscover>0</iBaseDiscover>
			<iDiscoverMultiplier>0</iDiscoverMultiplier>
			<iBaseHurry>0</iBaseHurry>
			<iHurryMultiplier>0</iHurryMultiplier>
			<iBaseTrade>0</iBaseTrade>
			<iTradeMultiplier>0</iTradeMultiplier>
			<iGreatWorkCulture>0</iGreatWorkCulture>
			<TerrainImpassables/>
			<FeatureImpassables/>
			<iCombat>0</iCombat>
			<iAirCombat>0</iAirCombat>
			<iAirCombatLimit>0</iAirCombatLimit>
			<iXPValueAttack>0</iXPValueAttack>
			<iXPValueDefense>0</iXPValueDefense>
			<iFirstStrikes>0</iFirstStrikes>
			<iChanceFirstStrikes>0</iChanceFirstStrikes>
			<iInterceptionProbability>0</iInterceptionProbability>
			<iEvasionProbability>0</iEvasionProbability>
			<iWithdrawalProb>0</iWithdrawalProb>
			<iCollateralDamage>0</iCollateralDamage>
			<iCollateralDamageLimit>0</iCollateralDamageLimit>
			<iCollateralDamageMaxUnits>0</iCollateralDamageMaxUnits>
			<iCityAttack>0</iCityAttack>
			<iCityDefense>0</iCityDefense>
			<iAnimalCombat>0</iAnimalCombat>
			<iHillsAttack>0</iHillsAttack>
			<iHillsDefense>0</iHillsDefense>
			<TerrainNatives/>
			<FeatureNatives/>
			<TerrainDefenses/>
			<FeatureDefenses/>
			<UnitClassAttackMods/>
			<UnitClassDefenseMods/>
			<UnitCombatMods/>
			<UnitCombatCollateralImmunes/>
			<DomainMods/>
			<BonusProductionModifiers/>
			<iBombRate>0</iBombRate>
			<iBombardRate>0</iBombardRate>
			<SpecialCargo>NONE</SpecialCargo>
			<DomainCargo>NONE</DomainCargo>
			<iCargo>0</iCargo>
			<iConscription>0</iConscription>
			<iCultureGarrison>0</iCultureGarrison>
			<iExtraCost>0</iExtraCost>
			<iAsset>0</iAsset>
			<iPower>0</iPower>
			<UnitMeshGroups>
				<iGroupSize>1</iGroupSize>
				<fMaxSpeed>1.75</fMaxSpeed>
				<iMeleeWaveSize>1</iMeleeWaveSize>
				<iRangedWaveSize>0</iRangedWaveSize>
				<UnitMeshGroup>
					<iRequired>1</iRequired>
					<EarlyArtDefineTag>ART_DEF_UNIT_SETTLER</EarlyArtDefineTag>
				</UnitMeshGroup>
			</UnitMeshGroups>
			<Button>Art/Interface/Buttons/Units/Settler.dds</Button>
			<HotKey/>
			<bAltDown>0</bAltDown>
			<bShiftDown>0</bShiftDown>
			<bCtrlDown>0</bCtrlDown>
			<iHotKeyPriority>0</iHotKeyPriority>
			<FreePromotions/>
			<LeaderPromotion>NONE</LeaderPromotion>
			<iLeaderExperience>0</iLeaderExperience>
		</UnitInfo>

2c) Text.xml
I'm not real concerned with having acual pedia and strategy entries for each unit. Just that they each have the text xml entries. It will be easy enough to add the acual pedia entry text at some later point and same with stratefy entry text.

Code:

	<!--  -->
	<TEXT>
		<Tag>TXT_KEY_UNIT_COLONIST</Tag>
		<English>Colonist</English>
	</TEXT>

	<TEXT>
		<Tag>TXT_KEY_UNIT_COLONIST_PEDIA</Tag>
		<English>*****Unit Pedia text.</English>
	</TEXT>

	<TEXT>
		<Tag>TXT_KEY_UNIT_COLONIST_STRATEGY</Tag>
		<English>A quick suggestion on how to use the unit.</English>
	</TEXT>

And that is it, just copy each section above (including whitespace to the left of the text, it is import for code reasons) and change the word COLONIST to whatever the new unit is called (LUMBERJACK, STATESMAN, and DRAGOON would be some examples), being sure to use the same capitalization as the word you are replacing (most are all caps, but one is first letter of each word caped).

If we can get all the unit xml entries together that would be a big step towards makeing the mod.

3) We need a unit graphic for each Col unit. There are quite a few unit graphics in the download area and I'm sure we can find a few that will work (I know there is a Statesman graphic out there). And many others will only need a new skin which is alot easyer to come up with then a whole new unit model.

Once these things get done it will be alot easyer to write up any code that is needed.

Jeckel · May 20, 2007

For future referense here is some interesting data...

Colonization files:
MENU.TXT

Spoiler :

Jeckel · May 20, 2007

NAMES.TXT

Spoiler :

Colonization Mod for Civ IV

King

Chieftain

Chieftain

Prince

Untouchable

King

Untouchable

Untouchable

Chieftain

Untouchable

Noble

Deity

King

Red, White, & Blue, baby!

King

Red, White, & Blue, baby!

Great Reverend

Great Reverend

Great Reverend

Great Reverend

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