Easy-Start Modkit for CivIII Conquests

[Grandraem]

I thought this might help beginners get a bit of a jump-start on modding.
This ModKit contains everything you need to get started making your own mod! It is for the latest version of CivIII Conquests, version 1.22. If you
don't have the latest patch to Conquests then you may download it from CivIII's official website before using the ModKit.

Download link:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=8108&act=down

Contents:
1. A 'MyMod' folder, which is the base scenario or mod folder for your mod. It contains all necessary subfolders as well as backup copies of some of the files you'll alter most. Included in this are copies ready of the text files you'll alter most, such as the Civilopedia text and PediaIcons text. Also, there are expanded 'buildings-large' and 'buildings-small' pcx files in the proper location, with the number error fixed on them. Finally, there are copies of the resource and unit32 pcxs. In short, there is everything you need, in their proper places, to add buildings, units, resources, leaderheads, etc.
2. A 'CustomMod' file, which is your mod's file that you load into the CivIII Conquest's editor and is loaded up when you play your mod in CivIII Conquests. It comes with 'Custom Rules' prechecked, and is already linked to the mod's folder.
3. A 'ReadMe' folder, containing 4 text documents. The first one is a 'getting started' text document, which is pretty much the same as what is contained here. The other three are: A tutorial on adding buildings, one on adding units, and one that contains a link to adding or changing other things in your mod.

What-To-Do:
1. First 'unzip' the ModKit somewhere on your computer. Next, copy or move the folder entitled 'MyMod' from the ModKit to your CivIII Conquests' Scenarios Folder. You will find this probably in a location like 'Local Disk (C/Program Files/Infogrames Interactive/Civilization III/Conquests/Scenarios. That's where it is located on my computer. Yours may be slightly different depending on how it was installed. In the Conquests' Scenarios Folder you should see some standard Scenarios that came with the game. Once you've copied or moved the 'MyMod' Folder to the Conquests' Scenarios Folder, then copy or move the 'CustomMod' file from the ModKit to the Conquests' Scenarios Folder.
2. That's all you really need to do to get started, but you may wish to do a couple of other things. If you wish to rename the mod's folder from 'MyMod' to another name of your choosing you may do so. However, if you do rename it you will have to follow a couple of small steps to avoid any problems. Load up your CivIII Conquests Editor. In CivEdit, open 'CustomMod' from your Conquests' Scenarios folder. Once 'CustomMod' is open click on 'Scenario' in the menu, then go down to 'Scenario Properties...' and click on that. This will bring up the 'Scenario Properties' Dialogue Box. You will see under 'Scenario Search Folders' it says, 'MyMod'. If you've renamed your mod's folder, then erase MyMod, and instead enter the new name of the folder here. This tells your scenario file to look for all relevent files first in your mod's folder before looking for them in the base Civilization folders, so if you have a file in your mod's folder with the same name as one in the regular CivIII folders, it will use your mod's file instead. Before you close the Scenario Properties Box you may also wish to enable 'Debug Mode' which you can see a checkbox for under where you renamed your folder. For more on Debug Mode or anything else in this box, please see the editors help section. After you've renamed your folder you can click 'OK' to close the box and then you will want to save your changes. Go to 'File' in the menu bar of the editor, and click 'Save'.
3. You're now ready to start modding. Have fun. Feel free to consult the ReadMe folder of the ModKit to get yourself started, or check out the CivIII Tutorials section of civfanatics.com for more help. You can also ask questions of the helpful CivIII forum members in the CivIII Creation and Customization forum if you have general questions about modding.

For German Users:
wwkoehler has created an alternate version of the modkit for German users, using the German text files in place of the English ones. This file can be found in post #37.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Really nice of you to do this! And thanks for the detailed instructions on how to use it. I've got it bookmarked for when I get down to brass tacks.

 

[Stormrage]

Great! Thank you Grandraem, this is very useful!

 

[Yoda Power]

When I first started modding we had to learn everything ourselves. There were no fancy pansy torturials or "modkits"!

 

[Kyriakos]

When I first started modding we had to learn everything ourselves. There were no fancy pansy torturials or "modkits"!

This modkit is a great idea

 

[WildWeazel]

When I first started modding we had to learn everything ourselves. There were no fancy pansy torturials or "modkits"!

And consequently it took us years to do it

Thanks Grandraem, this is a nice start for new modders

 

[timerover51]

I am working on a mod of the existing WW2 in the Pacific scenario, and would like to add additional improvements but use existing icons. I would like to add a Marine Barracks, Cavalry School (for light tanks), Armor School (for medium tanks), Jump School (for paratroops), Naval Shipyard (for additional warship production), and probably two or three additional improvements. These structures will be set to produce units on a regular basis, to offset the limited number of cities that the US has. I know that in the WW2 Global mod, there are numerous city-specific Wonders that produce units. I am not sure if I will go that route, although then I could make the buildings specific to the US.

Once I get that worked out, I am planning to use the existing unit icons, primarily the ship images, and put in separate values for the various types of Japanese and Allied ship classes. For example, Fletcher-class destroyers, Iowa-class battleships, Essex-class carriers. KG V class battleships, Kongo-class battleships/battlecruisers, etc. Again, I will use the existing icons and simply better differentiate the units.

My question is what is the best way to go about this.

 

[Grandraem]

Hi timerover51,

Are you planning on using existing civilopedia text as well as icons? Or entering new civilopedia text but using existing icons?

In other words, will the 'Marine Barracks' use the 'Barracks' Civilopedia TEXT and ICON or will it have its own text but use the 'Barracks' Icon, for an example.

Same question for units. Will all Destroyers have the same text and icons even though their values are changed, or is each destroyer going to have their own text entry as well as values, just keeping the icons?

 

[timerover51]

Hi timerover51,

Are you planning on using existing civilopedia text as well as icons? Or entering new civilopedia text but using existing icons?

In other words, will the 'Marine Barracks' use the 'Barracks' Civilopedia TEXT and ICON or will it have its own text but use the 'Barracks' Icon, for an example.

Same question for units. Will all Destroyers have the same text and icons even though their values are changed, or is each destroyer going to have their own text entry as well as values, just keeping the icons?

I am 50-50 on that. I suspect that with the barracks, I will simply add additional material to the civilopedia text, rather than adding more entries. With the ships, I will need to add an entry for each ship, as the data will be different for each type. For my planned aircraft factories and naval dockyards, I will likely use the existing text and add to it. In all cases, I am planning to use the existing icons so as to avoid working on the art files. I have just started to seriously mod games as I have purchased a Windows box for the specific purpose of doing so.

 

[Grandraem]

Sorry for the late reply, timerover51. I'm not on the forum often, so it is probably better to post questions in the main Creation and Customization Forum if you want quicker answers. There's lots of helpful people that will answer before I can.

For what you're looking to do for new buildings, you pretty much need to do only 3 things.

Step 1:
Open your mod's PediaIcons Text and Copy and Paste the text of the building that your new building would use icons for. For example, if your Marine Barracks had the same icons as a barracks, copy the 'barracks' text and paste it into the spot below it (or in its alphabetic location if you prefer). Then change the #ICON_BLDG_Barracks entry to another name (keep the '#ICON_BLDG_' part, just change the Barracks to something else, like Marine_Barracks. See the picture I've attached below for an example. Then save the text file, and you're done your PediaIcons text part.

Step 2:
Open your mod's Civilopedia Text and Copy and Paste the text of the building that your new building will be similar to. This step is similar to Step 1. Just change the 'Barracks' to whatever you used in step one. Example again is 'Marine_Barracks', as you'll see in the attached picture. Then change any of the description you want to change in the entry, save the text file, and you're done the Civilopedia Text.

Step 3:
Open your mod in the editor. Add the new building. It will prompt for the name. Then scroll down the part that says 'Civilopedia Entry' (where I put the arrow in the picture), and select your new entry. It will always be alphabetical, even if you didn't put it that way in the Civilopedia or PediaIcons Text. Find your new Civilopedia Entry and select it (It won't appear if you haven't done steps 1 and 2 yet). The Icons that are shown in the bottom left should be from whatever building you copied Civilopedia and PediaIcons text from. Finally, select whatever you want your improvement to do in the editor, save, and you're done. You're new building is added.


For more about adding buildings, I suggest you check the readme on adding buildings if you run into problems, ask here, or ask in C&C. I'll put the post about adding units in a few minutes.

Here's the pic for the examples above:

 

[timerover51]

Thank you very much for your detailed response, Grandraem. I will put it into use shortly.

 

[Grandraem]

Adding Units with existing icons and animation:

This is very similar to adding buildings.

Step 1:
Open your Civilopedia text for your mod and copy and paste an entry your unit will be similar to. Change the name like in the example in the attached picture. Then change any text you want to, save the file, and close it. You're done the Civilopedia Text.

Step 2:
Open your PediaIcons text. Copy and paste the Icon entry that you want your unit to use icons for. Change the name to what you used in the civilopedia text (like the example in the picture below - 'Warrior' changed to 'Super_Warrior'). Then scroll to nearly the bottom of the PediaIcons text and find the ANIMNAME entry. Again, change the entry name like in the example. Save the text file, and close it.

Step 3:
Open your mod in the editor. 'Add' the new unit'. Enter the Civilopedia Entry in the proper box. You need to include the 'PRTO_'. Then select the same number in the 'Icon' Box as the unit your using icons for. For example, my 'Super Warrior' uses the 'Warrior' Icon, so I select 6, which is the number that the warrior icon is in the Unit_32 pcx. file. Then all you have to do is select whatever requirements and values you want for your units and you're done.
Multiple units can share a civilopedia entry to save time. For example, if you want several 'Super-Class Warriors', all you have to do is enter one civilopedia entry for them all, and the PediaIcons entry. Then when you go to the editor, any unit that you want to be a Super-Class Warrior, you can just add the Civilopedia entry in the box and whatever requirements and values you want. As long as that unit has the Civilopedia entry for a Super-Class Warrior, it will bring up the same in-game Civilopedia Text and use the same icons and animations as the other Super-Class Warriors, but it will have a different in-game name and have different values such as more or less attack or defense, movement, etc.

I hope I've answered your questions satisfactorily.

Example Picture:

 

[timerover51]

Grandraem, you have answered my questions more than adequately, and I will keep you in mind when I finish my scenario and give you some credit for assistance. Thank you so very much. The one thing that I am short of is time, and you have saved me a lot.

 

[Grandraem]

No problem. I'm glad to help.

 

[timerover51]

Greetings again, Grandraem. By following your clear and well-illustrated instructions, I now have a Carthaginian War Elephant working quite well in a new scenario. I would recommend that anyone who is planning to do scenario mods with existing buildings and/or units follow your directions. I will most definitely give you credit once I start posting mods, and link to your directions.

 

[cIVilization_IV]

does this work with the original civ3?

 

[timerover51]

I am not sure if you can add units to the original Civ3 game, at least not the Macintosh version. You would have to check in the editor to see if it allows you to add units. I know that what Grandraem has laid out does work nicely in Conquests, and I suspect would also work in Play the World.

 

[T-mun]

Not possible if I remember correctly, you don't have the "add" button for units, improvements and wonders. You had to mod the original files after a complete backup I imagine...

 

[Grandraem]

cIVilization_IV,

as timerover51 and themanuneed answered, it won't work for the original CivIII.

Thanks for providing the answer, guys.

 

[Myth5]

hey there. I followed the instructions, but I hit a problem. I have the unit pic for the civilopedia and building list, but the unit icon and animations don't work. I read something about certain file names having to match, and I was wondering which ones had to match which.