Grammar, Style and the Colopedia

[raystuttgart]

Nice.

Now we just need to find images that suit them and can finish the achievements.
Ideally it would be ingame screenshots that looks really great.

 

[Kendon]

@Kendon:
Could you please write the English Pedia text again ?
TXT_KEY_UNIT_ROYAL_TROOP_GALLEON_PEDIA

I've written the Brig description and checked the Slave Barque so I'll get to this one soon.

I added a line to the Loon description. I've been wondering how loons and vultures affect the game. Maybe they reduce happiness because when scouts look up at vultures they know that the birds are watching to scavenge them, maybe not waiting until the scout is entirely dead. At night loons communicate with their maniacal laughs, sounding like crazed killers in the forest, preventing people from sleeping and slowly driving everyone mad.

Other than that I'm not sure how these birds affect gameplay. Is it better to be near them or to avoid them?

 

[raystuttgart]

Other than that I'm not sure how these birds affect gameplay.

Vultures near a city will cause Health (if worked).
(They eat carcasses and thus prevent diseases.)

Loons can be hunted for Feathers and Food.
(I still need to implement Feathers as a Yield.)

Is it better to be near them or to avoid them?

All resources generally provide some kind of benefit.
(It is simply better for game design. Also Players would complain too much about anything else.)

-----------

Summary:
I still need to fully implement the Yields required and the balancing of the Bonus Ressources.
(Currently working on other todos though and want to finish them first.)

 

[Kendon]

@Kendon:
Could you please write the English Pedia text again ?
TXT_KEY_UNIT_ROYAL_TROOP_GALLEON_PEDIA

I've done the Royal Troop Galleon English text. It looks like the other new ships are explained by their colonial or, in the case of the settlers' Man o' War, Royal equivalents.

I have one small question. If the Royal Troop Galleon is captured, can it be used to carry treasures? That's probably a moot question since, by the time the King is attacking, treasures will no longer be a priority; but I was just curious. I assume it can.

I also changed "revolting" to "rebelling" in a few cases. "Revolting" in English has the connotation of "disgusting". I thought that being a slave or petty criminal was bad enough without having your hygiene criticized.

 

[raystuttgart]

I have one small question. If the Royal Troop Galleon is captured, can it be used to carry treasures?

No, it can not.
The "isTroopShip" prevents it.

I also changed "revolting" to "rebelling" in a few cases.

You are the native speaker, so I trust your judgment.

 

[Kendon]

I've gotten through the FeatureInfo text document. After I tidied up the English for the FOREST_EVERGREEN Background I noticed that the next features (dense forest, northern forest and ancient northern forest) don't have their own Strategy/Background texts. Maybe that's not necessary, if they're covered by the Forest descriptions.

I did write a unique description for the mangrove forest.

I'm going back through the Terrain Overhaul thread, seeing which additions lead to a new strategy. It's like I'm taking meeting minutes where after the discussion leads to a decision I try to sum it up in a sentence or three.

I wonder if I should do the Tar Pit now or leave it until the connection system is in place.

It might be best if I get TerrainInfo complete. It's not too long. I see where I'll have to go through the Terrain Overhaul thread again, just to get details from the forum discussion. When I do that, little things jog my memory leading to improvements elsewhere, most recently booby birds and bog iron.

 

[Kendon]

New terrain descriptions are complete in English in the TerrainInfo text source.

Savannah didn't have a _PEDIA</Tag> command so I pasted from the previous entry and made the necessary changes. It should be straightforward but I know there can always be surprises.

 

[Kendon]

@Kendon
If you find some time, could you maybe check the new XML text entries I have created?
Maybe my English could be improved a bit.
Thanks in advance.

• TXT_KEY_UNIT_HARBOR_SPACE_NEEDED
  
• TXT_KEY_BUILDING_MAX_HARBOUR_SPACE_PROVIDED

• TXT_KEY_CITY_HARBOR_STILL_FREE
• TXT_KEY_CITY_HARBOR_ALMOST_FULL
• TXT_KEY_CITY_HARBOR_TOTALLY_FULL

• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM
• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM_PEDIA

In CIV4GameText_Happiness I've adjusted the wording to read like painted signs at the end of the wharf. Signs get taken down and put up whenever availability changes, like the colonial equivalent of those electronic signs we see at the entrance to a parking garage.

Next I have to find the new harbour system text.

 

[Kendon]

Here's the English text to replace ConceptInfo line 655 TODO. Normally I'd put it in myself but GitHub tells me it can't show files that are so big right now, possibly referring to the last commit. That's odd because I can see the last commit and it's not very big - 15 additions and 5 deletions. In any case the ConceptInfo document simply won't open. Maybe the system just doesn't like me today. It might need someone with better authorization.

"In a harbour ships need enough space to anchor along the wharf for loading and unloading - the bigger the ship, the more space it needs (varying from 1 to 6 anchor symbols). [PARAGRAPH:1]Harbour buildings increase the available space by putting up more docks. Higher upgrades offer extra berths for bigger ships.[PARAGRAPH:1]Once the harbour is full, or doesn't have enough space available for an arriving ship, new ships have to anchor offshore, waiting until other ships make space by heading back out to sea. Thus players need to consider a bit more and properly plan their ship routes, or even to make different choices when it comes to ship acquisition."

Now that I think about it, pirates might find it harder to survive after they've been damaged in a battle if other ships are filling up the nearest harbour. Right now it's worth going into a risky fight as long as there's somewhere nearby to run and hide.

 

[Kendon]

Just to update, I'm about halfway through the 58 XML_AUTO_ text files.

This time the changes are small: correcting typos; making English nouns (unlike the German ones) lowercase, unless they're proper nouns or titles; and giving “resources” two s's rather than three (“ressources”).

I'm also watching to make sure words match what's ingame: “cabinetmaker” instead of “furniture maker” for one example. If the Colopedia is going to help new players understand the game, consistency helps.

Now that people are starting to play test “Plains” I'd like to hear about any text anomalies. Seeing how words look during the game can be different from reading them in a file.

Happy New Year!

 

[raystuttgart]

Sounds great.
Thanks a lot for your never ending motivation and persistent efforts to improve the texts.

Happy New Year!

You too !

 

[Kendon]

@Mr. ZorG

I'm comforted that your eagle eye caught my error before it was exposed to the world. Little mistakes are the hardest ones to spot. Thank you.

 

[Kendon]

I found a quote from George Washington's farewell address that was short and thought-provoking. It fits well with the historic comments as the game opens.

“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.”
--- George Washington, President of the United States farewell address, 1796.

I've added it as TXT_KEY_QUOTE_in CIV4GameText_Credits_Readme_Hints, and also extended CIV4Hints in Assets/XML/GameInfo to add quote 51.

 

[Kendon]

In proofreading LeaderHeadInfo I added more background for Urraca and Toromona. I also noticed that Guaymi isn't the preferred name for this Indigenous civilization in Panama. It's slang from a patois used by early traders.

The name Urraca's people called themselves is Ngabe.

I made the change in the leader description but it should also be corrected in the Domestic Advisor screen. I did a quick search but I couldn't find where to make that change: Urraca of the Ngabe.

In the Colopedia “Colonies / Natives” the heading “Urraca” has the double consonant reversed: Uracca.

I did a quick check to see what's involved in changing Guaymi to Ngabe. I found Guaymi in CIV4 Missing_Civ_Desc; CIV4 RaR_NewNations_; and XML CivilizationInfo.

Making that many changes might lead to unintended consequences so I'm checking before going ahead. I'm interested in how everything fits together so I'd enjoy knowing what all needs to be done.

 

[Kendon]

In the XML Profession text file we still have the Silver Miner profession, though that work is now done by the more diversified Prospector.

Silver Miner entries run from line 2751 to 2798. May I delete those lines of code?

In the XML entries I've also changed "Guaymi" to "Ngabe" in CIV4 Missing_Civ_Desc; CIV4 RaR_NewNations_; and XML CivilizationInfo.

 

[raystuttgart]

In the XML Profession text file we still have the Silver Miner profession, though that work is now done by the more diversified Prospector.

Careful !!!

Do not mix Profession and Unit.
There still is a "Silverminer Profession" even if there is only one "Prospector Unit" (Expert).

Before deleting anything always check in XML if they are referenced somewhere.

Summary:
Do not delete "Silverminer Profession" entries.

 

[raystuttgart]

In the XML entries I've also changed "Guaymi" to "Ngabe" in CIV4 Missing_Civ_Desc; CIV4 RaR_NewNations_; and XML CivilizationInfo.

That is ok for me.
If the term "Ngabe" is more appropriate that is fine.

 

[Kendon]

Do not mix Profession and Unit.
There still is a "Silverminer Profession"

You're right. I did know that. I must be working too hard.

 

[Kendon]

I've finished the English changes for XML_AUTO_UTF8_YieldInfo.xml so now all the text documents in the 'Plains' branch have been reviewed. Mainly I looked for typos, made minor changes to phrasing and conformed the words to new gameplay.

 

[Kendon]

Now we just need to find images that suit them and can finish the achievements.
Ideally it would be ingame screenshots that looks really great.

Here are potential new Achievement images to go with the text for First Famous Nobleman (Sloop by Iceberg), 2 Native Traders (Trader with Treasure) and 100 Goods Sold on Domestic Market (Wagon Train in Town or Tobacconist with Bison).

I haven't written text for First Monastery but here's a picture (Monks Praying) that could work.

They're simple screenshots, except for 'Monks Praying'. The only reworking is cropping to fit the 3 x 2 window.