[MODCOMP] Eternal Prehistory (as of now, just an idea).

[Somebody613]

I see a very easy way to create a modmod that would let you never exit Prehistory.
All you need is:
1. Replace (rather, preface) Sedentary Lifestyle with Future Tech on the tech tree (easy to do).
2. Disconnect Sedentary Lifestyle from the tech tree (somehow, no idea). Alternatively: Simply link it to Future Tech (probably will never let to proceed beyond itself).
3. Prevent Great People from unlocking techs beyond Prehistory (utterly no idea how to do this).
4. Prevent Goodies from doing that (even less idea how to do it).
And here you go - nothing can be researched past Prehistory, lol.
Important note:
The seemingly easier route of DELETING all techs backfires because units and buildings refer to them.
So, any help with (2) and especially (3) and (4)?
Any comments?
Likes? Dislikes? Corrections? Flames, lol?

 

[Maltazard]

I have no idea how it was done, but some future eras were modular and optional at some point in RoM/C2C history, so I believe there is an even simpler way to do what you're saying. It's no longer supported by design however

 

[Somebody613]

I have no idea how it was done, but some future eras were modular and optional at some point in RoM/C2C history, so I believe there is an even simpler way to do what you're saying. It's no longer supported by design however

The problem is to find what files I need to edit in order to achieve (3) and (4), or at least (3) for starter testing.
When someone will point that out to me, the rest is easy to edit.
It's just that I don't know where to look for it, that's all.
And I didn't see any obvious way to remove the "can be researched by Great People" effect from the techs themselves.
Or is it somehow related to the "flavor" tag in them?
Too confusing for someone who doesn't know the real answer, really.

 

[MattCA]

Future tech probably has a tag that makes it repeat. I would try adding that tag to sed lifestyle.

 

[Somebody613]

Future tech probably has a tag that makes it repeat. I would try adding that tag to sed lifestyle.

No, I DON'T want to research Sedentary Lifestyle (which is precisely what takes you OUT of Prehistory) - that's the kick.
And that's NOT the problem - I can easily make it and the further techs non-researchable via the NORMAL way (link it to AFTER Future Tech, and it's probably solved).
The problem is that you'd still be able to unlock techs via Great People and Goodies - and THAT one I have no clue how to edit out.

 

[cobbaut]

Add ten zeroes to the cost of Sedentary tech?

 

[Somebody613]

Add ten zeroes to the cost of Sedentary tech?

Just thought about it recently.
But you are ignoring my point:
I *can* easily remove Sedentary Lifestyle from the queue - heck, I could probably do it by putting it AFTER Classical Lifestyle (to look nice), thus making it an unresolvable loop, lol.
I *can't* so far find out how to prevent any post-Prehistory techs from being DISCOVERED via Great People and Goodies, though.
THAT one is the real problem now.

 

[Thunderbrd]

Just thought about it recently.
But you are ignoring my point:
I *can* easily remove Sedentary Lifestyle from the queue - heck, I could probably do it by putting it AFTER Classical Lifestyle (to look nice), thus making it an unresolvable loop, lol.
I *can't* so far find out how to prevent any post-Prehistory techs from being DISCOVERED via Great People and Goodies, though.
THAT one is the real problem now.

The programming to kill that step would be really easy to write but fiddly to make into an option properly - if you DO a touch of coding as you have before, you could look at adding a statement like: 'if this is on the game option of endless prehistory, then if tech's era is after 0 (Prehistoric) then false' as an early on check in the CvTeam function that's probably named something like canLearnTech or something - jeez its been a while since I've gone coding - not too long ago I could've spit the code here without even thinking about it but I don't want to give you any syntax bugs by providing the code itself. It should be pretty easy to sort out.

There COULD be bugs this creates that you'd have to find as you go but this is where I'd start is something like that. I personally would prefer to take the time someday to do it right and make a bug option that allows you to set the end era if you're playing on the GAME option of Limited Era or something like that. Maybe I will do it just for a bit of coding fun once I get back into code diving but for now I'm trying to prep myself for a major sequence of tech tree changes and that planning is kinda intense.

 

[Somebody613]

The programming to kill that step would be really easy to write but fiddly to make into an option properly - if you DO a touch of coding as you have before, you could look at adding a statement like: 'if this is on the game option of endless prehistory, then if tech's era is after 0 (Prehistoric) then false' as an early on check in the CvTeam function that's probably named something like canLearnTech or something - jeez its been a while since I've gone coding - not too long ago I could've spit the code here without even thinking about it but I don't want to give you any syntax bugs by providing the code itself. It should be pretty easy to sort out.

There COULD be bugs this creates that you'd have to find as you go but this is where I'd start is something like that. I personally would prefer to take the time someday to do it right and make a bug option that allows you to set the end era if you're playing on the GAME option of Limited Era or something like that. Maybe I will do it just for a bit of coding fun once I get back into code diving but for now I'm trying to prep myself for a major sequence of tech tree changes and that planning is kinda intense.

Wow and huh!

I hoped that the "can be researched by a Great Person" function is somehow written in the tech description itself.
After all, techs are researched selectively by GP types - not every GP can unlock every tech, so it clearly must be reflected somewhere in the tech itself.
It might or might not be the "flavor" list in the tech's description, but I can't find a good way to test it.

And I'm kinda stupid to not simply think of an option that would limit the entire game to a certain Era.
That's so much simpler and straightforward, lol.

I hope some actual solution appears soon-ish, yeah.
Would be really fun to play a fully Prehistoric game that can never leave that Era even accidentally.

 

[Somebody613]

Okay, found that I can turn Goody_Tech into <bTech>0</bTech> in GameInfo / CIV4GoodyInfo.xml.
This prevents discovering techs altogether, which is good enough anyways.
Still couldn't find anything else, though.
Namely:
-Great People researching techs.
-Defining the Final Available Game Era.
Would appreciate any help, lol.

 

[BlueTemplar]

Wait, but if a tech is expensive enough, IIRC one GP isn't enough to research it anyway ?

 

[tmv]

Wait, but if a tech is expensive enough, IIRC one GP isn't enough to research it anyway ?

Correct. In the late eras you are lucky if they give you 10% of what you get per turn anyway.

 

[MattCA]

<TechInfo>
<Type>TECH_FUTURE_TECH</Type>
<bRepeat>1</bRepeat>

 

[JosEPh_II]

Questions:
How long do You want to play in the Preh Era?
What would be your limit (# of turns played) to be satisfied with "playing in Preh Era forever"?
Would 4000 turns in the Preh era satisfy you?
Do you need 8000 turns before you are bored silly?
Have you even considered this limit?

 

[Thunderbrd]

Questions:
How long do You want to play in the Preh Era?
What would be your limit (# of turns played) to be satisfied with "playing in Preh Era forever"?
Would 4000 turns in the Preh era satisfy you?
Do you need 8000 turns before you are bored silly?
Have you even considered this limit?

I suppose a modmod could adjust the era xml file. Hasn't been done before but a good idea to consider it.

 

[Somebody613]

Questions:
How long do You want to play in the Preh Era?

The idea of this modmod would be to play it FOREVER, as in LITERALLY so.
NEVER research anything beyond it.
Why?
BECAUSE I WANT SO, lol - that's why it's a MODMOD (and not a MODCOMP, despite how I named the thread) idea to begin with.
This is basically a CHALLENGE variation - to play ONLY with whatever you can get from Prehistory.
So, no, this ISN'T meant as "extending Prehistory by a large magnitude", but rather it's meant as "eternal Prehistory, period".
Why? BECAUSE, lol.