How to make a new leader?

[Ekolite]

Hi, I was just wondering how easy it is to create a new leader for an already existing civ. I already have a LH sorted out, although I'm not sure if its the right size or not. The civ I want to make a new leader for is the Cualli, a new civ added in Fall Further.

I've looked in the modding help section / searched it and didn't find anything particularly clear. Besides I thought normal civ4 modding may not be relevant to FFH.

Any help would be great, thanks.

 

[xienwolf]

Pretty simple really. Just have to set them up to have an entry in the Leaderheads file. You'll set their AI tendancies and whatnot (like traits) there. Just cut/paste someone who acts about how you want them to and you are golden.

LH has to be 512x512 dds file IIRC.

 

[Vehem]

Just cut/paste someone who acts about how you want them to and you are golden.

Just remember to change the gender to be correct if needed...


Basically what Xienwolf said - leaders are actually pretty easy to add (as are civs actually if you don't want to change anything much). Just find one that is approximately right, copy/paste it, change the TXT_KEYs to match one you're going to add (for the name etc) and then change the AI settings as you want them.

Last bit is to add them to the <Leaders> in the CivilizationInfos, but that is as easy as;

            <Leaders>
                <Leader>
                    <LeaderName>LEADER_SABATHIEL</LeaderName>
                    <bLeaderAvailability>1</bLeaderAvailability>
                </Leader>
                <Leader>
                    <LeaderName>LEADER_CAPRIA</LeaderName>
                    <bLeaderAvailability>1</bLeaderAvailability>
                </Leader>
            </Leaders>

Give it a go - if you get stumped, let us know and I'll try to put together a "step-by-step" (which will be useful in general too methinks).

EDIT: I went and did it - it's below.

 

[Vehem]

This will cover the "necessary" bits. After this, it's just editing the options on the LeaderheadInfo to set all the interesting things (favourite wonders/civics, AI weights, allowed religions etc).

Adding a leaderhead (FfH edition)

Step 1 - Copy
In Assets\XML\Civilizatons\CIV4LeaderheadInfos.xml;

Find the leader you want to base your's upon and copy/paste it. Make sure it stays within the "<LeaderheadInfos></LeaderheadInfos" tags - if you put it after those, it won't be read in. You need to copy right from the <LeaderHeadInfo> tag, all the way to the closing tag </LeaderHeadInfo> for that leader.


=====================================

Step 2 - Change
Still in Assets\XML\Civilizatons\CIV4LeaderheadInfos.xml;

Alter the values for Type, Description, Civilopedia and ArtDefineTags fields.


=====================================

Step 3 - Need some text
In Assets\XML\GameText\Civ4GameText_Cualli.xml;
Note: this could be *any* of the GameText files - Cualli is used as that is where I put all the Cualli text (strangely enough...)

We need values for the 2 text keys we just used - TXT_KEY_LEADER_DAVE and TXT_KEY_LEADER_DAVE_PEDIA. Copy and paste them from LEADER_CUALLI is probably easiest.


=====================================

Step 4 - A picture is worth a thousand words, but you still need an ART_DEF...
In Assets\XML\Art\CIV4ArtDefines_Leaderhead.xml;

First off - you need a leaderhead picture at 512x512, saved as a DDS file.
Second off - you need a button picture at 64x64, also saved as a DDS file.

Exporting/Saving as DDS and methods to make the "round bits" on buttons vary depending on your paint-tool of choice - but there are tutorials on each available in the main tutorial forum.

Once you've got that, add them into the appropriate directories (as noted below) and copy/edit the entry for LEADER_CUALLI as below.


=====================================

Step 5 - Every leader needs a civ to lead...
In Assets\XML\Civilizations\CIV4CivilizationsInfo.xml;

Find the civilization that he's going to lead (CIVILIZATION_CUALLI) and add him to the "<Leaders>" field.


=====================================

Step 6 - Testing time and over to you...

Now it's time to fire up FfH and see if he's on the leader list. Big pink-squares mean that the artfile isn't where the ART_DEF says it is. TXT_KEY_SOMETHING means that it can't find a TXT_KEY - check the names match.

If all looks good - check that he's attached to the right civilization, then close Civ and go back to CIV4LeaderheadInfos.xml. From here on in - you can change any of the values to suit what you have in mind for the leader. Looking at the other leaders can give you a clue about what the numbers should be;

For instance - there is a value of iMaxWarRand. At first glance this looks like a good value to increase to make your leader more aggressive. If you check the other leaders however, you'll see that Ethne has a value of 400, whilst Daracaat has only 50. As I understand it, the AI will "roll" a random number between 0 and iMaxWarRand (technically n-1 before someone corrects me) and if that number is below the "threshold value" for war, he will declare war (in this case - "MaxWar", the aggressive version). As Ethne has a "bigger dice", the chances of rolling low are less (there are more high numbers and an equal chance of any number). Daracaat only rolls upto 50 (or 49), so if the threshold is 45, he has very little chance of rolling over it - which means a good chance he'll declare war.

There are a *lot* of values in there to play with and you may get some odd results - this is the fun bit though, which actually makes your leader interesting. Enjoy

 

[Ekolite]

Oh cool, thanks.

This is the picture I will use as a LH. (It's the one I had in mind when I first came up with the Cualli idea.)



How can I edit it to make it the right size? EDIT: Just did it on paint . What's a dds file though?

Also, something that's been bugging me. What i sthe in-game difference between the mazatyl and the Cualli. From my expirience the Cualli just seem to be weaker versions of the mazatyl .

Anyway I will hope to change that with a few different traits for my new leader. Are there any that would be too overpowered for Cualli?

My original story for him was that he was once an angel of Aeron, but for reasons unknown left the service of his God towards the end of the Age of Magic. To get through into the real world was difficult, and when he fell he was deep in the jungle. He has become weak, a mere shadow of his former self - and he was starving. He wandered for months until he found a city, nestled deep wityhin the jungle. It was under siege, men bareing the banner of Patria surrounded the high city walls, the gate was destroyed men swarmed up the great pyramids of the city slaying thousands of lizard folk. The battle lasted for days, weeks, until the humans were finally fought back and killed. Although many had escaped from the city, the lizardfolk remaining now numbered only 200 and the rivers and rice paddies were choked with the decaying bodies of the enemies. They would starve now surely. The angel watched with interest. Perhaps he could turn this situation to his advantage. He appeared to the mage who had taken up position of impromptu leader of the city and told him that he would help them, if they took him as their god and leader and made sacrifices to him, to help him regain his strength. He took his new followers into the fields and told them that if they were to survive they should look to new sources of food, namely humans.

This was the original story and will be re-writen to tie in better with Cualli and FFH lore and to make it a better story.



Anyway, so how much can you change a civ depending on what leader you use? Does it have to be done through traits? In which case I want to make a new trait allowing all melee and recon to start with the cannibal promotion and perhaps a diplo penalty to all civs descended from patrians if possible. ''We never forget'' and a penalty from other civs to them saying something like ''you are a monster''.

Not sure about his other traits yet, other then agnostic of course. Perhaps raider? The angel told them to leave their ancient city if they were ever to get their revenge, and to be sure the patrians didn't find them. So they continued into a deeper part of the jungle and camped out there, raiding neareby civilisations for flesh and slaves.

Seeing as cannibal also provides a diplomatic downside they might get 4 traits altogeather. Agnostic, Cannibal, x and y.

I might get them to take more of a magic or priest strategy though. In which case they will get arcane and something else, not sure yet.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

For some reason when I read that he was an angel of Aeron until the Age of Magic I immediately pictured him as being a part of the army of Ira under Odio (of course, this would have been early in the Age of Magic, not Late). He could have chosen to fall and abandon Odio to avoid punishment from Kilmorph, or (perhaps more likely, given his selfish nature) he didn't willingly give up his immortality at all but had it taken from him when Aeron "withdrew his ara from Odio"

Tyeing his story specifically to a conflict between Aeron's angels and Kilmorph could strengthen the animosity between the two lizardmen civs.



Making a trait that grants cannibalism is very easy, but giving a diplomatic penalty could be hard (I don't know how to do it, but suspect that SDK changes would be needed)

I don't see why the Calabim would have a problem with this trait at all. (Well, I guess they could see them as competition, but underneath the refined facade vampires really aren't that different from them. Both are chosen peoples of Aeron.) Should its effect be reversed for them, like the compassion diplomacy modifiers are?


Apart from the traits, most of the leader infos deal with personality-diplomacy, tendency to use certain manas, religion preferences/blocks, options of those who use certain manas, alignment, etc. Your leader should probably have <iAttitudeCompassionHigh>-1</iAttitudeCompassionHigh>, and <iAttitudeCompassionLow>1</iAttitudeCompassionLow> like the Calabim leaders.

 

[Vehem]

Oh cool, thanks.

This is the picture I will use as a LH. (It's the one I had in mind when I first came up with the Cualli idea.)

View attachment 176948

How can I edit it to make it the right size? EDIT: Just did it on paint . What's a dds file though?

Download this (you need the .net Framework 2.0 as well - it'll tell you that when you get it). Then you can just open the BMP, SaveAs and choose either DXT1 or DXT3 and turn off MipMaps in the window that pops up. Then just hit OK and you have a DDS texture file.

(DDS stands for DirectDraw Surface - it's used for all the textures in Civ4 .nif files)

Also, something that's been bugging me. What i sthe in-game difference between the mazatyl and the Cualli. From my expirience the Cualli just seem to be weaker versions of the mazatyl .

The Mazatl economy tended to run away, but it's been reined in a little now. Combat-wise, the Cualli could be a lot more powerful than the Mazatl (Mazatl tend to be builders first, then attack later). They have powerful priest units (which eventually combine Shadow and Priest - invisible, casting and fairly powerful). You can also ritually sacrifice some normal units (preferably of level 4) to Empower all of your priests globally for a few turns (so your best units - hero included - basically get upto a 50% bonus whenever you choose to sacrifice - can be very useful if you stockpile some level 4s). They also get the Blood and Sacrifice civic, which allows you to use slavery right from the start of the game (amongst other things).

Hmm - thinking about which - need to check on the workers for that - they shouldn't be allowed to do it.

Anyway, so how much can you change a civ depending on what leader you use? Does it have to be done through traits? In which case I want to make a new trait allowing all melee and recon to start with the cannibal promotion and perhaps a diplo penalty to all civs descended from patrians if possible. ''We never forget'' and a penalty from other civs to them saying something like ''you are a monster''.

Cannibal part is easy enough - traits can add promotions to specific CombatTypes which is exactly what you need. The specific diplomacy penalty is a lot harder, though making them unpopular in general is fairly straightforward.

EDIT:

Tyeing his story specifically to a conflict between Aeron's angels and Kilmorph could strengthen the animosity between the two lizardmen civs.

I like it

 

[Ekolite]

Hmmm is there anywhere I can get more info on the Odio-kilmorph conflict? A pedia entry on something? I know it has something to do with they odio's prison World improvement.

 

[Vehem]

Hmmm is there anywhere I can get more info on the Odio-kilmorph conflict? A pedia entry on something? I know it has something to do with they odio's prison World improvement.

Short version is "when the compact was signed Aeron's archangel, Odio rebelled, and continued to ravage creation. He attacked Kilmorph's land, and she turned him into stone, trapping him in the earth".

Magister may have some acquired additional info though duiring his studies as a Great Sage.