Dynamic starts development thread

[Baldyr]

I'm not so sure about making it a game option to begin with. Because why would you install a mod you don't wanna use it?

Why not let it be a custom game option instead? (Include the settings enabling custom games in your mod instead.) I'd love to find out how to do one of those, so here's hoping you go in this direction instead...

There could actually be a pair of settings:

- dynamic starts (AI)
- dynamic starts (human)

I could see how someone would wanna play with any, all or none of the settings enabled.

 

[jmerry]

Because why would you install a mod you don't wanna use it?

Perhaps I don't want to use it in all of my games? This was designed from the start to be easy to turn off, with a single boolean switch controlling everything.
The problem with doing things with custom game options is twofold; they aren't visible on the scenario screen, and almost everything about them is done in the DLL. Basically, I'm doing what's possible; I stole a custom game option that doesn't do anything in a scenario, and made a WB file with that option enabled.

 

[Baldyr]

Yeah, I would also wanna be able to turn it on or off, for whatever reason.

Very sneaky of you to hijack that other option, by the way!

So, there is now way of modding the custom game options without changing the DLL? That's too bad...

 

[jmerry]

A complete list of game option references in the (BTS) Python:
- CvVictoryScreen: Display info for the settings screen.
- CvTechChooser: Don't display spies if no espionage, display religion differently if "Pick Religion" is on.
- CvMainInterface: Don't display espionage advisor if no espionage display religion founding on tech buttons differently if "Pick Religion" is on.
- CvInfoScreen: Don't show espionage graph if no espionage.
- CvWBDesc: Write the game options into the WB save.
- CvEventManager: Don't show Dawn of Man popup if Advanced Start.
None of that is actual gameplay effects. It does at least include the capability to test for options.

The XML lists the game options, but only includes name and help text info.

I just tried making a mod that adds a dummy option to the list. It loaded, but the option didn't show up on the custom game screen. I made a WB save and edited that option in. That loads fine in the mod, and produces an error without it.
Then, I tried to actually do something with the option. I put a test for it in onCityBuilt... and got nothing. I reversed the test... and got nothing. I tested for another option... and got nothing. Even the error log isn't helping; it keeps being updated, and the latest version is an empty file.

Removing current effects of existing options is impossible without DLL editing. Adding options and implementing them in Python may be possible. Unfortunately, my attempt to test that failed.