Dale's Mod Blog

[Valkrionn]

Dale or Valkrionn, quick question...

Can you reuse maps with mods? In other words, if I create a map and place standard Civs on them, can I then use that map and put DLC or modded Civs on them as a seperate file?

I ask because I am sure that maps I create (Earth or original) that have pre-exsisting Civs on them would benefit from having multiple versions for vanilla and DLC/Mods!

Well, that would depend on what you mean by reuse. If you mean have one map that behaves differently based on what DLC are installed... Yes, but only via scripting AFAIK. However, if you mean have multiple versions of the map, with one requiring DLC and one not? Yes. You should actually be able to set the DLC as a requirement for your map, so it can't even be run without it. Not 100% sure on that one though; I know it's planned, at least.

Three questions for your Dale.

1) What does IDE stand for. I'm use to acronymns getting defined .

2) How are units going to be created? Will I need to get 3ds Max to do anything with unit graphics/animations? I couldn't find that in your second blog Civ5 Modding Explained. I thought I remember that being an expensive program.

3) I'm hoping if we use 3ds Max is it going to be possible for all those people that built great units for Civ 4 going to be able to import their units into Civ 5? At least give them a good starting point maybe not a straight conversion.

Sorry for the noobish questions I'm just going to try and learn how to mod Civ 5 and no better way that to ask the pros.

1. Internal Development Environment. Like Visual Studio, which ModBuddy is based off of.
2. Unfortunately, I have no clue about anything to do with art. I do simple reskins and nifskope modifications.

Dale,

You're a true asset to the mod community. Are you a part of the development team, or just a beta tester? You certainly know quite a bit of info about it all.

He's a beta tester, but was extremely involved and knows what he's talking about.

 

[royal62184]

I do simple reskins and nifskope modifications.

I get the impression that this is really simple to do. Want to do a tutorial for some of us when you're done playing .

 

[Valkrionn]

I do that for Civ4, using paint.net. Just recolorations.

 

[The_J]

3) I'm hoping if we use 3ds Max is it going to be possible for all those people that built great units for Civ 4 going to be able to import their units into Civ 5? At least give them a good starting point maybe not a straight conversion.

I guess you have 3ds Max, right?
If this program can't handle the files, then no one else can .
Oh, no, not right, Blender can, Ekmek said it.

Internal Development Environment.

integrated, not internal.

 

[Dale]

Yeah, IDE is Integrated.
ModBuddy is actually a skin of the VS2010 Isolated development environment. So it comes with all the features of VS pre-baked.

As for graphics, I'm no artist but Ekmek has used blender during testing.

 

[royal62184]

Thanks for answering my questions guys I appreciate it.

 

[Szpilman]

Yeah, IDE is Integrated.
ModBuddy is actually a skin of the VS2010 Isolated development environment. So it comes with all the features of VS pre-baked.

As for graphics, I'm no artist but Ekmek has used blender during testing.

I'm dumbfounded! I thought MB would be a really simple IDE. Being anything like VS2010 is such great news, that's one software I use daily

 

[Dale]

*removed*

 

[Valkrionn]

I guess you have 3ds Max, right?
If this program can't handle the files, then no one else can .
Oh, no, not right, Blender can, Ekmek said it.



integrated, not internal.

Bah! That's what I get for posting while in class. Too distracted to notice what I wrote...

I'm dumbfounded! I thought MB would be a really simple IDE. Being anything like VS2010 is such great news, that's one software I use daily

It's very useful.

 

[Jaythekiller]

Thanks for the screenshot,any ETA for those tools?

 

[YohanLeafheart]

I'm dumbfounded! I thought MB would be a really simple IDE. Being anything like VS2010 is such great news, that's one software I use daily

Bah. They should have based it off Eclipse , that way I would already now everything about it. But learning a new IDE should be fun, last time I used VS it was around 2003, IIRC.

 

[Szpilman]

Bah. They should have based it off Eclipse , that way I would already now everything about it. But learning a new IDE should be fun, last time I used VS it was around 2003, IIRC.

I considered learning Eclipse for Lua, but now Firaxis appears to have solved it for me giving us VS

 

[Dale]

Blog: The way to a man's heart is through his modinfo and civ5mod files

In this blog I explain folder and file structures within a Civilization 5 mod, and detail the two most important files within a mod: modinfo and civ5mod files. After reading this blog you will know how to generate a proper Civilization 5 mod without the mod tools.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Blog: Civ 5 Release Day Mods on the Hub by Civ Fans, and how to get them to work!

Explaining how the mod menus work, and how to get mods to download and run. Topics include:
- Skipping the Intro Movie
- Understanding the mod menus
- Process to get a mod, and get it to work
- Some of the release day mods by Civ Fans

Dale, I couldn't find the World at War mod on the Mod Browser.

 

[Dale]

Dale, I couldn't find the World at War mod on the Mod Browser.

I took it down due to a bug.

 

[salaminizer]

I have to say that I was actually getting a little worried, because I thought that ModBuddy would be just a tool to prevent you from doing things on your own. given the recent events in PC gaming (games shipping without dedicated servers and some console ports even lacking more advanced video options and controller support), I wouldn't be surprised, but it's great that "unprecedent modding" seems to be quite right, especially on the support side.

the silence from some of the best modders out there was a bit curious too, but I understand that there might be some NDAs in place

 

[royal62184]

Thank you for the blogs. They help newbies like me. I'm afraid the best thing for me to do is just start diving in.

 

[Saarud]

Thanks for the Blog. I really like it. I just hope such it will be possible to use transparent picture in the background when you create a maps as that would help alot.

 

[The_J]

Blog: The way to a man's heart is through his modinfo and civ5mod files

In this blog I explain folder and file structures within a Civilization 5 mod, and detail the two most important files within a mod: modinfo and civ5mod files. After reading this blog you will know how to generate a proper Civilization 5 mod without the mod tools.

Seems they had some good thoughts there .

 

[Grunthex]

Another good article Dale! There's one teensy little factual error though.

Under reasons not to modify your core game files, you put.

"3. You will lose the ability to earn Steam achievements with modified core files."

Not true. I have my core files modded up a bit (just XML files), and still get achievements. My understanding (though not personally seen) is that running a mod will actually disable your ability to get Steam achievements.

Other than that, cool article!