Ethnically Diverse Units (4/16/06)

[C.Roland]

Good to see there's a demand for this

and yeah I don't think there are different styles for buildings either, even though the XMLs are "ready" for it, since they have tags for Asian and European and other styles. It's a shame but maybe they'll add that in the expansion pack.

Speaking of which, if anyone wants to model and texture the different architecture styles I can put them in game, I think I mostly figured out the files responsible for that. I'd do it myself but first the Earth will need to slow down its rotation because 24 hours just ain't enough.

I have tried new city set and the texture didn't show well, I dont know why .

 

[civaddict098]

I am deaply offended there are no asian or middle eastern skins...

jk... nice job.

 

[Porges]

Has anyone actually tried putting stuff in the tags and seeing if it changes?

Oh, and rabbit, in your original post where you say "Promotions" you mean "formations", right?

 

[Rabbit, White]

I indeed meant "Formations", thanks Porges for pointing it out, it's fixed now.

Do you mean the buildings' style tags? I don't remember exactly but I think the different civs already have different architecture styles specified,, it's just that in the XML where the styles are mapped to nif files they are all mapped to the same ones. In any case I haven't tried changing anything there so can't be 100% sure.

 

[Porges]

I get the feeling Firaxis was going to go for something quite a bit more ambitious but toned it down. Examples include the building style tags, and the formations file, which is far more complex than it needs to be when you're only having 1-3 units on each square.

 

[seZereth]

nice stuff Rabbit.
I will go with this into Regiments Xtreme, giving each ethnically group their "correct" (at least fun to watch) army appearence. So keep on producing more top quality stuff, perhaps i need it

 

[Harada the Grea]

hi great concept. Before I download this mod question is it easy to add this to the regiments mod, i mean have you labeled the changes so i would know what parts to add?

 

[Harada the Grea]

if not i will wait for regiments extreme

 

[HP_Ganesha]

Wow Is Great!!!! very COOOOOLLLL

 

[Rabbit, White]

Thanks HP_Ganesha

hi great concept. Before I download this mod question is it easy to add this to the regiments mod, i mean have you labeled the changes so i would know what parts to add?

I haven't labeled the changes because I've had bad experience commenting XML files (for some reason in some of them the comments interfere with their parsing). However I did make this mod with the regiments mod in mind. In the formations file there are three new formations (if I remember correctly) - Idle(7), Found City(7) and Fortify(7), just to be on the safe side you can just search for "(7)" string to make sure you haven't missed anything. As far as I know regiments doesn't have any 7-man formations so merging these should be straightforward. Of course I also added all the new units to the usual Idle(x), Fortify(x) and other formations.

Since all units are "unique" there are no new units classes, and in the UnitInfos and ArtDefine_Unit files they are grouped together and follow the original unit, i.e. african_warrior follows warrior, and has native_warrior right after.

 

[Harada the Grea]

sweet going to try this tonight. my son in law is a programmer and he says if you use <!-- what you want--> the XML ignores that line I do not know if this helps or you already know but I have used it and had no probs

 

[Goombaz]

If this mod gets far enough, and is professional and style-consistant enough, we should seriously see if we can't talk the Firaxians into making it standard.

And yes, I realize this is the first post I've made in like 6 months. Hello

 

[Rabbit, White]

sweet going to try this tonight. my son in law is a programmer and he says if you use <!-- what you want--> the XML ignores that line I do not know if this helps or you already know but I have used it and had no probs

Yes that is indeed how it's suppose to work, but for some reason that's not always the case. For example just today I was working with Audio files (Audio3DSCripts.xml and AudioDefines.xml) and added a comment to mark my code and what do I get? A crash with a generic error on the loading screen. When it gets to Init Audio it just gives the generic windows application error (no "XML error: line xx..." or anything like that) and closes the program.

In another case (I can't remember what file it was), when I put comments in the game seemed to work fine except that it was getting weird bugs (again, don't remember exactly what the problem was) but once I removed the comments no more bugs.

So anyway, while comments do work in some of the files without a problem I rather just not add any at all and avoid the whole issue completely (this is for XML files only, python files haven't given me any trouble due to comments ).

Sorry for the rant but it gets frustrating sometimes dealing with such weird problems that shouldn't be there in the first place.

If this mod gets far enough, and is professional and style-consistant enough, we should seriously see if we can't talk the Firaxians into making it standard.

Thank you for the vote of confidence I still hope that Firaxis might still implement some sort of ethnic diversity, at least for the buildings, and in the meantime I'll keep working on this.

 

[Porges]

Yeah the XML comments bugs are annoying >_<

I find if you put them outside the UnitFormation element it works fine, so I've labelled my entire formations file to make it easier to edit.

Something like

    <!-- Square formations: size 8 -->
    <UnitFormation>

makes it easier to browse in a code-folding editor.

 

[Harada the Grea]

Yes that is indeed how it's suppose to work, but for some reason that's not always the case. For example just today I was working with Audio files (Audio3DSCripts.xml and AudioDefines.xml) and added a comment to mark my code and what do I get? A crash with a generic error on the loading screen. When it gets to Init Audio it just gives the generic windows application error (no "XML error: line xx..." or anything like that) and closes the program.

In another case (I can't remember what file it was), when I put comments in the game seemed to work fine except that it was getting weird bugs (again, don't remember exactly what the problem was) but once I removed the comments no more bugs.

So anyway, while comments do work in some of the files without a problem I rather just not add any at all and avoid the whole issue completely (this is for XML files only, python files haven't given me any trouble due to comments ).

Sorry for the rant but it gets frustrating sometimes dealing with such weird problems that shouldn't be there in the first place.


hey sorry for bringing it up and i know what you mean about problems that should not be there. Adding your mod to my game and if all goes well will be playing tommorrow (nearly middnight in the UK) thanks again for all your help. you are a among modders for both your mods and your patience with noobs like me

 

[GarretSidzaka]

very nice. as usual

 

[FK2006]

GREAT
that THE missing thing that i needed!!!!!!!
still asian and perfect!!!!

 

[Mayan Raptor]

African are unique for Malinese (strange there are no more African civs in the game)

You forgot the Egyptians. They're Africans too, descended from Saharans, Sudanese, and Horn-of-Africans who gathered in the Nile Valley as the Sahara turned into a desert.

 

[Willowmound]

You forgot the Egyptians. They're Africans too, descended from Saharans, Sudanese, and Horn-of-Africans who gathered in the Nile Valley as the Sahara turned into a desert.

They're not black though. Most Egyptians like to think of themselves as Arabs, though you are right, they are not.

 

[Mayan Raptor]

They're not black though. Most Egyptians like to think of themselves as Arabs, though you are right, they are not.

Those are the modern Egyptians you're talking about. For a few thousand years, many populations from west Asia and southern Europe have migrated into Egypt after the pharaohs; Greeks, Romans, Persians, Assyrians, Arabs, and Turks. This is why olive-skinned people occur in the nation today, especially in the north near the Delta, which has received the most immigration. Of course, that doesn't make those people less Egyptian, any more than non-indigenous blood makes pale-skinned Americans less American.

In southern Egypt, which has received substantially less immigration, African phenotypes and dark skin appear more often. These more African-looking people as a rule of thumb have the most pharaonic blood. I know this because I have received this information from Egyptian friend from Aswan who has studied his own history. He insists that he does not look olive-skinned, nor does he have Arab ethnicity!

I don't like to use "black" on any people, even Africans, because people tend to disagree on that word's meaning in my experience (besides, most Africans have brown skin of varying shades, not oil-black skin). However, the ancient Egyptians, as brown-skinned elongated Africans, would probably count as "black" by those who apply the term to people like Halle Berry or Rosa Parks.

Back on topic, I really think you should work on making more African and Amerindian units before moving on to Asians or Arabs. I agree with you, when playing Mali, Egypt, or the Aztecs, I do NOT want Caucasians working and fighting for my empire!