Florence (BtS 3.19; V1.0)

[kochman]

V1.1: Added city names; changed Arquebusier

LH - Lorenzo de' Medici (Fin/Cre)
UB - Medici Bank (bank; available at GUILDS; +1 free artist)
UU - Arquebusier (musketman; 10; immune to first strike; starts with Formation)
I realize that the arquebusier was before the musketman, however, I wanted to pay tribute to Leonardo da Vinci's genius with firearms, including developing the longest ranged, most accurate weapons of his time that were used by himself in combat even! If you have other ideas, I would be happy to consider them.

Download link:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=14407

Credits: MANY... the following (and I probably will forget someone, I apologize in advance) either helped me learn coding, etc or were victims of flagrant art theft by me...
Manifold; Teg_Navanis; Phungus420; The_J; Chamaedrys; Aranor; Ekmek; Flying Pig; The Capo; woodelf; CRoland; Wyz_sub10; strategyonly; zerver; IgorS; esnaz; Amra; cfkane; avain; cool3a2; Flintlock1415; TheLastOne36; RulerOfDaPeople; Iloveplayciv; Bakuel; Freya; nutnut; cybrxkhan...

I have not play tested this yet. Please give me any results you have re: issues/balance.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
1) Download and unzip mod
2) Create the following directory and place mod in this directory:
Civilization 4/Beyond the Sword/Mods/Extra Civs*/Assets/Modules
3) Copy and paste a .ini file from any other mod, and place it in:
Civilization 4/Beyond the Sword/Mods/Extra Civs*/
4) Rename .ini file Extra Civs.ini*
5) Open the .ini file and replace the XML code with the following code:

[CONFIG]

; Modular XML Loading
ModularLoading = 1

; Skip Main menu
SkipMainMenu = 0

; Custom Art from user folder is not loaded
NoCustomArt = 0

; Custom XML and Python from user folder are not loaded
NoCustomAssets = 1

; No Custom Scenario option in main menu
NoCustomScenario = 0

; No team play allowed
NoTeams = 0

; Read Game options from XML, not .ini
ForceGameOptions = 0

; Always start in the standard era
ForceStandardEra = 0

; Scenario file (Single player)
ForceScenario = 0

; This mod is only for single player games
SinglePlayerOnly = 0

; Allow public maps to be used with this mod
AllowPublicMaps = 1

; Mod Image file
ImageFile = 0

; Name of Mod
Name = Extra Civs

; Description of Mod
Description = Generic Mod

6) Start Civilization 4 Beyond the Sword, at main menu select Advanced>Load a Mod
7) Extra Civs* should be an option, select this mod, then select "Go" and the mod should load

* You can actually name this mod whatever you want, but whatever it is, make sure the .ini file has the same name.

Note: You can put more than one mod into the folder, and you only need to do steps 1 & 2 for each additional mod after the first one.

 

[Manifold]

Don't worry! I like the arquebusier unit (IMO just a bit strong), the art of the bank is also very good, like the leader. I am curious about the your next clou

 

[kochman]

I was considering the strength of the arquebusier... but then I figured since I can't really have it come before gunpowder, I had to give it some kind of other advantage...

I also considered Florence's neighbor to the north, the Milanese, with their strong Condottieri, and decided I had to give them the big strength or they would get crushed by the Milanese pretty easily.

 

[mechaerik]

Bonus against certain types of units (I guess thats too similar to the janis, but you could always make it a strong bonus against 1 type of unit)? Bonus in cities?

As it stands, I think its pretty powerful (in the Praet and Quecha class), considering it has no counter and is immune to first strikes. Of course, no unit upgrades to it, but they are draftable.

 

[kochman]

Perhaps a strength of ten but it starts with formation (vs. cavalry)?
The point you bring up that it can't be upgraded to is something I considered.

I almost considered putting it available at Guilds, like their UB Medici Bank, so the Florentines would beeline for Guilds... in that case I would knock it back down to a 9 strength but give it a bonus against cavalry and immune to first strike.

What do you guys think of that? It would be available much earlier... perhaps too early though.

 

[mechaerik]

Perhaps a strength of ten but it starts with formation (vs. cavalry)?
The point you bring up that it can't be upgraded to is something I considered.

That is probably better.

Upon thinking about the fact that nothing upgrades to Muskets, I realized something.

Nothing upgrades to Swords either. So although they don't get a 33% bonus (I think its like 18% that they get), they still get a 2 boost (incidentally making them the strongest unit until Grenadiers, and still quite effective even then) andthey are immune to first strikes.

In short, they're basically Renaissance Praets that are also immune to first strikes.

 

[kochman]

Cataphracts also get the 2 bump... that is why I thought it would be ok.

I will sleep on it.

 

[manofwow]

Hi, I loaded the Mod and when I start a game, Florence isn't appearing as a Civ. Do you do have to do anything differently for this one?

 

[mechaerik]

Cataphracts also get the 2 bump... that is why I thought it would be ok.

I will sleep on it.

But Cataphracts also have a hard counter, the Pikeman.


Although I do understand where you re coming from.

 

[kochman]

Hi, I loaded the Mod and when I start a game, Florence isn't appearing as a Civ. Do you do have to do anything differently for this one?

Yes... there is a several step process.

1) put the folder in the proper directory, example:
Civ4/BtS/Mods/"Extra Civs" (you can name this folder anything you want)/assets/modules

2) start Civ4, advanced>load a mod>"Extra Civs"

3) Florence will still not come up. You have to go into the .ini folder in the path: Civ4/BtS/Mods/"Extra Civs" (you can name this folder anything you want)/
Change the "0" under modular civs in the .ini to a "1" (you can open it with notepad to achieve this)

4) repeat step 2, now Signoria of Florence should be an option

 

[manofwow]

I named the folder Florence and it is in the MODS folder. This is ini file below. What zero needs to be changed to 1?

; Skip Main menu
SkipMainMenu = 0

; Custom Art from user folder is not loaded
NoCustomArt = 0

; Custom XML and Python from user folder are not loaded
NoCustomAssets = 0

; No Custom Scenario option in main menu
NoCustomScenario = 0

; No team play allowed
NoTeams = 0

; Always start in the standard era
ForceStandardEra = 0

; Scenario file (Single player)
ForceScenario = 0

; This mod is only for single player games
SinglePlayerOnly = 0

; Allow public maps to be used with this mod
AllowPublicMaps = 1

; Mod Image file
ImageFile = 0

; Name of Mod
Name = Florence

; Description of Mod
Description = Generic Mod

 

[kochman]

At the top add the following (under [CONFIG]):

;  Modular XML Loading
Modular Loading = 1

Make sure you have BtS patch 3.19

 

[kochman]

The Arquebusier now has a strength of ten, is immune to first strikes, and starts with Formation.

 

[Yxklyx]

On a different tack how about the UU being a merchant unit (like the Great Merchant) that can be cashed in for money - not sure if the AI would build them though.

 

[kochman]

On a different tack how about the UU being a merchant unit (like the Great Merchant) that can be cashed in for money - not sure if the AI would build them though.

There was something like that in a early mod of venice Ekmek or someone did, but I didn't want to create such a completely new unit like that, so I simply gave them better banks as their UB...

If you wanted to come up with the code for that, etc, I might put it in...

 

[The Capo]

On a different tack how about the UU being a merchant unit (like the Great Merchant) that can be cashed in for money - not sure if the AI would build them though.

The AI would certainly build them, they'd probably even use them. But the issue is if they'd use them properly, i.e. with respect to actual strategy. That's the only thing i see as an issue there. I have a slave unit that can be used to partially rush-build a building or wonder, and the AI definitely uses that. But it can't carry other units, and otherwise its only other function is tile improvements (which the AI also uses them for), so I don't know how this would work for a ship. All you have to do, as far as I know, is change some XML in the unitinfos so they treat it like a great merchant, but if it is a ship that can carry units I'm not sure if they'd know to use it as such. Interesting idea though and it would certainly be a pretty unique ability.

 

[kochman]

I don't think he meant to use it like a ship, but just like a ground unit...

 

[The Capo]

Ahh, I see. I don't know why I assumed it was a ship.

I suppose this would replace the Explorer?