Svar
King
Originally posted by Moonsinger
Thanks again!I didn't know that we can browse the upload folder. I learn something new everyday.
How do you think I got all your previous versions?
- Thread starter Moonsinger
- Start date
How do you think I got all your previous versions?
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2001
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- 30,080
FYI -
If its any help at all, here's how I went about solving a similar problem (its in a bit of a basic form - I don't really know how Bill Gates handles memory management etc!), and you're probably both better programmers than me anyway!
In Trade Assist, I read the autosave files as well.
At start-up, the user selects which Civ version they are using, and I then read the registry setting:
(please excuse the Vb code....)
This therefore gets the path to the autosave directory automatically.
What I then do is have a timer that checks this directory for a list of .sav files, and get the timestamp of each to find the newest. Apparently there are better ways of doing this that I use (I think you can watch ofr a windows file change notification?), but it seems to do the job some of the time....
To read the file and ensure that Civ wasn't still writing to it, I had two options - check whether the file was in use, or arbitrarily just wait a few seconds. I chose the latter version, because I couldn't find a way of checking file permissions that didn't rely on trying to open the file, then processing the sharing violation return value.
If you want the code I used for finding the newest file, then let me know.
If its any help at all, here's how I went about solving a similar problem (its in a bit of a basic form - I don't really know how Bill Gates handles memory management etc!), and you're probably both better programmers than me anyway!
In Trade Assist, I read the autosave files as well.
At start-up, the user selects which Civ version they are using, and I then read the registry setting:
(please excuse the Vb code....)
Code:
Dim strInstallPath As String
strInstallPath = GetRegSetting("Infogrames Interactive", "Civilization III", "Install_Path", "Unknown")
If Me.optCiv = True Then
strInstallPath = AddSlash(strInstallPath) & "Saves\Auto\"
ElseIf Me.optPTW = True Then
strInstallPath = AddSlash(strInstallPath) & "Civ3PTW\Saves\Auto\"
ElseIf Me.optConquests = True Then
strInstallPath = AddSlash(strInstallPath) & "Conquests\Saves\Auto\"
End IfWhat I then do is have a timer that checks this directory for a list of .sav files, and get the timestamp of each to find the newest. Apparently there are better ways of doing this that I use (I think you can watch ofr a windows file change notification?), but it seems to do the job some of the time....
To read the file and ensure that Civ wasn't still writing to it, I had two options - check whether the file was in use, or arbitrarily just wait a few seconds. I chose the latter version, because I couldn't find a way of checking file permissions that didn't rely on trying to open the file, then processing the sharing violation return value.
If you want the code I used for finding the newest file, then let me know.
Thanks for the info ainwood! Even though I already knew all that, but it's the thought that count and I really appreciate that. Anyway, the reason I ask the user to give me their autosave directory instead of getting it from the Window Registry myself is because some players are way too smart and they setup multiple patch version of PTW or whatever. In this case, the info from their registry may be incorrect. So I took the safest route by asking them to tell me where. I did provide a nice little mini window explorer to browse for the directory (no typing is required because typing can often lead to error); I think that would be good enough for now.
Even though I already knew all that, but it's the thought that count and I really appreciate that. Anyway, the reason I ask the user to give me their autosave directory instead of getting it from the Window Registry myself is because some players are way too smart and they setup multiple patch version of PTW or whatever. In this case, the info from their registry may be incorrect. So I took the safest route by asking them to tell me where. I did provide a nice little mini window explorer to browse for the directory (no typing is required because typing can often lead to error); I think that would be good enough for now.
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- I ran into the same 'problem' - AlanH had two install versions. I added command line support for specifying the install directory, and left the registry option as default for the 90% of users who aren't trying to be so clever!
Originally posted by ainwood
I have thought about that, but since this is a zero budget operation. If I'm willing to volunteer my freetime on this project, I'm sure the end user won't mind to browse for the autosave directory once in awhile. Since the program does remember their selection, it doesn't sound too bad.
Darkness
Shadow creature
Originally posted by Moonsinger
I have thought about that, but since this is a zero budget operation. If I'm willing to volunteer my freetime on this project, I'm sure the end user won't mind to browse for the autosave directory once in awhile. Since the program does remember their selection, it doesn't sound too bad.
As one of the users of your great utility, I can say I don't mind browsing the autosave directory at all....
Svar
King
Moonsinger,
MapFinder 2.5 works perfectly. Last night it searched over 2000 C3C maps looking for river and food bonuses. I guess I downloaded all the previous versions for nothing all I needed was a little patience.
MapFinder 2.5 works perfectly. Last night it searched over 2000 C3C maps looking for river and food bonuses. I guess I downloaded all the previous versions for nothing all I needed was a little patience.
Not for nothing!
If it wasn't for you, SirPleb, and Muldoon who told me that it doesn't work, I wouldn't know how to fix it! Thanks for letting me know that it's working fine now.Rellin
Norrathian Gnome
Hi everyone. I just stumbled upon this program and it is extremely awesome. Great work. I have a question though. I play a modded version of C3C, specifically a very similar version to the Apolyton University Mod that is an effort to make the AI play better. I know tool was developed for use in finding good maps for HoF games, but I was hoping to use it for my own games, as I like a good starting location as much as the next guy even though I could care less about my point score in the end. Thing is, when I try to use this utility with my mod, it says I need to start a "New Game" and activate in my first turn. Only problem is that mods are not considered "New Games" since you load them from the Civ-Content menu selection.
What I am wondering is if there is away for me to alter this program so that I could use it with my mod, or if I will have to stick with generating maps by hand?
What I am wondering is if there is away for me to alter this program so that I could use it with my mod, or if I will have to stick with generating maps by hand?
Since I have never generated any mod, if you can tell me step by step on how you randomly generate your mod map, I will add that option to the MapFinder utility for you. It's really no big deal and may take me about 10 minutes to do it.
If I'm understanding things correctly (not likely), then the latest version of Mapfinder is supposed to relaunch C3C after a certain number of maps, correct? I ask because mine's not. Could this possibly be due to the fact that I currently have Conquests installed in a custom directory rather than the default?
Rellin
Norrathian Gnome
If you have ever played a Scenario it is the exact same. Just my scenario does not have a map attached to it so it randomly generates one.
Open C3C, Click "Civ-Content" (instead of clicking "New Game"), Click the Scenario/File you wish to load to select it (This being my mod file and the Scenario/File you last loads stays selected when you go click Civ-Content the next time), Click Scenario/File again to load it, Select Map Options, Select Opponents and Difficulty Level.
Open C3C, Click "Civ-Content" (instead of clicking "New Game"), Click the Scenario/File you wish to load to select it (This being my mod file and the Scenario/File you last loads stays selected when you go click Civ-Content the next time), Click Scenario/File again to load it, Select Map Options, Select Opponents and Difficulty Level.
widdowmaker
Maker of Widdows
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- Feb 22, 2003
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- 441
You moonsinger and deltharius are a god send.Ima C++ programmer of sorts. Mostly hobbiststuff. But so fari haventbeen able to crack into the Civ3 C#C code. If you mind could you PM me so that we can talk? If i can crack the game open im certain i could make some worth mods.
widdowmaker
Maker of Widdows
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whats the domination limit?
Rellin
Norrathian Gnome
The point in the game at which you win by the domination victory condition which is when you control 66% of the land tiles. The domination limits on this program as it is set up by default are the number of land tiles you require to be available in total at the start of your game. The more land tiles available mean the more land tiles you can control before triggering a domination victory which means that you can earn more points by owning more land for a longer period of time before triggering that victory condition.
I got a question myself, what is the highest amount of land tiles available in following maps as these are really the only ones I ever play:
Huge Pangea 60%
Huge Pangea 70%
Huge Continents 60%
Large Pangea 60%
Large Pangea 70%
Large Continents 60%
Standard Pangea 60%
Standard Pangea 70%
Standard Continents 60%
One more question, after reading a bunch of threads in this HoF section of the forum, and having played Civ3 for a long time now I have stated kinda considering playing a few games of unmodded civ to see how my score ranks (without milking as that would drive me nuts I think) in a few games. Anyway, my question is, what difficulty level do people play their HoF games? I generally play Monarch or Emperor (Not that I can't win on higher levels, it is just that I feel it is unfair and hate that the AI just get insane bonuses to make it better instead of it making better decisions) and am wondering if I should just stick with Monarch if I was going to try for a HoF high scoring game or if people play on Chieftan or something to get super high scores.
I got a question myself, what is the highest amount of land tiles available in following maps as these are really the only ones I ever play:
Huge Pangea 60%
Huge Pangea 70%
Huge Continents 60%
Large Pangea 60%
Large Pangea 70%
Large Continents 60%
Standard Pangea 60%
Standard Pangea 70%
Standard Continents 60%
One more question, after reading a bunch of threads in this HoF section of the forum, and having played Civ3 for a long time now I have stated kinda considering playing a few games of unmodded civ to see how my score ranks (without milking as that would drive me nuts I think) in a few games. Anyway, my question is, what difficulty level do people play their HoF games? I generally play Monarch or Emperor (Not that I can't win on higher levels, it is just that I feel it is unfair and hate that the AI just get insane bonuses to make it better instead of it making better decisions) and am wondering if I should just stick with Monarch if I was going to try for a HoF high scoring game or if people play on Chieftan or something to get super high scores.
For the highest domination limit, you have to go for a huge map with 60% water. In regards to terrain, your best bet is archipelago. You'll generally speaking get domination limits of 4200+. Huge/60%/continents and huge/60%/pangaea will respectively net you 4000+ and 3700+. These are of course approximations. For best results, use Mapfinder.
Game activity takes place at all levels, but I think the 'busiest' level right now is Monarch, as there are several games active at the moment. I'll be joining that melee as soon as I find a map.
Rellin
Norrathian Gnome
Well, I was asking for the theoretical maximum number of land tiles on those maps through random generation so that I could set my minimum acceptance level with this map generating utility to something just a little below that. The ones I am most curious about would be Huge Continents and Pangea both 60% water.
I'm not entirely sure. Just offhand, I'd say 3900 tiles would be pushing the threshold of a pangaea. Continents I'm honestly not sure.
IIRC (I'm at work now so I can't look) but the Index.html Mapfinder generates lists the Domination limits of each file doesn't it? Perhaps you should run a batch on each setting using a low domination minimum (1?). That way you could get a feel for where you'd want to target your threshold.
Just a thought!
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