How to Use Plug and Play Mods (READ ME FIRST!)

[purplexus]

FIRST AND FORMOST:
Thanks goes out to the Impaler[WRG] and Chinese american for first creating the plug and play mod (during the vanilla and Warlords versions and Thanks to FIRAXIS for incorporating such a wonderful idea into their code)

SECONDLY:
Thanks goes out to the CIV GOLD TEAM for setting the standards high and for creating the real need for this mod. (at the time when the CIV GOLD Team was launching CIV GOLD 4.0 there were over 100 Civ's to be added in Modularly)

THIRDLY:
Note as to other MAJOR mods who have now incorporated the Modular format.

VISA
CIV GOLD


LASTLY:
This Forum will host only new Beyond The Sword Modules. The Plug and Play System Is built into the Code itself.

 

[purplexus]

HOW TO USE PLUG AND PLAY MODULES

If you have downloaded a new module and would like to begin using it immediately follow the following instructions CLOSELY.

1. The first thing you have to do is set up a new mod folder in the MODS folder.
This is located in a folder that looks similar to this path.
Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Beyond the Sword\Mods
Choose any new to name your Mod… In this sample we will call it
MORE MODULES
2. The Next thing to do is place your New module here and unzip it here
3. Step 3 Is a little bit more tricky. By default the game will not go looking for your new modules. We will have to go into the <MORE MODULES>.ini File to tell it to start looking for these Modules. (*** NOTE THIS ONLY HAS TO BE DONE ONCE)
To locate your <more modules>.ini file, Locate your MORE MODULES folder

Inside of your newly created mod folder A file will appear after you run the module the first time. This file will end in .ini In here you will have to do the following...

HIT <CTRL-F> and type this in

Modular XML Loading

it should take you to this line of the file if not&#8230;. This is the line which you must find within this file

Now right below this Line should be a line that appears like this

ModularLoading = 0

Or like this

ModularLoading = 1

If yours has a 0 in the line: MODULAR LOADING IS NOT ON change the 0 to a 1 so that it looks like the second example.


YOU ARE FINISHED&#8230; PHEW!


*** NOTE ***

for those of you who are thinking this is getting ridiculous to add a simple thing as a module there are new plans for an update by the World of Civilization Team which will make both creating modules and Using modules much easier. This update will also address issues that the community was having such as have more then one module to add a Leader Head to a civilization. Adding in more then one Unique Unit. ETC ETC ETC.

For more information on this visit the WOC FORUM located here
http://www.worldofcivilization.com/

 

[purplexus]

Note to modders. Read the instructions I have just place on the post above. You will notice that the Beginners are asked to place their new modules within the own mod folder only.

It is up to you to have your Files UNZIP to the correct folder beyond that.

For example Assets/Modules/Custom Units/SAMPLE

 

[purplexus]

Does your new Module have sounds?

If so download the Latest Audio files and unzip them into the same folder as your modules. These files will unzip to Assets/Xml/Audio.

 

[CivForrest]

where do I unzip the customs civ folders and can't u load all the civs at once? I unzipped the custom civs folder the the mods directy and followed your settings for the ini file, nothing worked.

 

[purplexus]

the following folders should be present when you unzip the Modules.

Beyond the Sword
-->MODS
---->{your Mod}
------>Assets
-------->Modules
---------->Custom Civilizations
------------>{Civ Modules}
---------->Custom LeaderHeads
------------>{Leader Head Modules}
-------->XML
---------->Audio (place updated Audio Files Here)

 

[TracerBullet]

How do you play new civs? I followed your directions and nothing happened when I started BtS.

 

[CivForrest]

works great!

 

[weregamer]

What you're saying is that there is no overall location for modules that one picks and chooses from on disk. I need to decide which modules I want to include for my own play, create a new folder for my "mod" (which contains nothing but a selection of modular XML files), and dump all the modules I want into it.

If I'm doing this for myself, there's no need to create subdirectories for the various sub-types of data. But if I'm planning to distribute a mod, I should not just break my stuff up into modules but sort them into subdirectories. OK.

But OTOH if I just want to distribute a module - say a new civ - I would expect the user to dump it into their own mod directory. Are you saying I should make up a dummy mod folder containing only one labelled subdirectory, and my zip file should include that dummy mod folder? That seems a bit odd if I want end users to be able to stick it into their own working mod folder. Or do you mean that I should zip the file with a relative path that only contains the intermediate directory (e.g. ".\New Civs\Hippopotamia.xml", not ".\MyMod\New Civs\Hippopotamia.xml")?

 

[purplexus]

No i am saying you should follow the format of Mods/ {whatever you want to call your Mod}/ASSETS/MODULES/{type of module so that people know what they are when inserting them or deleting them/{mod Name}

Hope this helps.

If you maintain this structure it makes it easy on the Civilization world of modders. Nothing is stopping you however of doing what you want for your game.

 

[weregamer]

No i am saying you should follow the format of Mods/ {whatever you want to call your Mod}/ASSETS/MODULES/{type of module so that people know what they are when inserting them or deleting them/{mod Name}

OK. Apparently I'm the only person here who makes a distinction between an actual coherent mod, and a random component. If/when I actually get around to implementing the ideas I am tossing around, I should publish each one as if they were a real mod containing only one module apiece, instead of simply releasing the modules for people to use as such. This makes no sense to me, but conventions are conventions.

So if I have two new standalone civs, I make up two phony "mods" to hold them and several levels, some redundant, of decorative subdirectories as follows:

.../Mods/
      Hippopotamia/
         assets/
            modules/
               new civilizations/
                  Hippopotamia/
                     Hippopotamia_Civ4bletch.xml
                     Hippopotamia_Civ4squat.xml
.../Mods/
      Spotsylvania/
         assets/
            modules/
               new civilizations/
                  Spotsylvania/
                     Spotsylvania_Civ4bletch.xml
                     Spotsylvania_Civ4squat.xml

when somebody wants to use them, they unpack all of this, take the actual XML files or maybe the lowest two levels of subdirectories, move them into their own working "mod", and throw away all the redundancy. Got it.

 

[purplexus]

No i am saying you should follow the format of Mods/ {whatever you want to call your Mod}/ASSETS/MODULES/{type of module so that people know what they are when inserting them or deleting them/{mod Name}

OK. Apparently I'm the only person here who makes a distinction between an actual coherent mod, and a random component. If/when I actually get around to implementing the ideas I am tossing around, I should publish each one as if they were a real mod containing only one module apiece, instead of simply releasing the modules for people to use as such. This makes no sense to me, but conventions are conventions.

So if I have two new standalone civs, I make up two phony "mods" to hold them and several levels, some redundant, of decorative subdirectories as follows:

.../Mods/
      Hippopotamia/
         assets/
            modules/
               new civilizations/
                  Hippopotamia/
                     Hippopotamia_Civ4bletch.xml
                     Hippopotamia_Civ4squat.xml
.../Mods/
      Spotsylvania/
         assets/
            modules/
               new civilizations/
                  Spotsylvania/
                     Spotsylvania_Civ4bletch.xml
                     Spotsylvania_Civ4squat.xml

when somebody wants to use them, they unpack all of this, take the actual XML files or maybe the lowest two levels of subdirectories, move them into their own working "mod", and throw away all the redundancy. Got it.

No... not how to do it. and the reduncency can not be tossed away.

The reasons for the subdirectories and I'll explain each one.

First off the Mods folder A general place to store all Mods... modular or not.
The {mod name folder} so you can distinguish between your mod and anyone elses mod.
The assets folder.. A necessary place so the Game engine knows where to start looking in order to speed things up. Obviously if the computer has to search the entire computer for all kinds of files it would then have to sort between what XML are part of the Game or Not part of game. I don't think the Game engine is even set up this way.
The Modules Folder where the game starts to look for Modular Folders
The {Custom Type Folder}(s).. this may be the only redundant folder in the mix. But this is a convinience set of folders for the END USER to know Where to Find Civilizations Modules.. As compared to Tactics Modules. and Leader Head Modules.. ETC.
The {Module Name} Folder Obviously everything contained within your Module is placed in this folder.
Within the {module Name} Folder for Civilizations or large Modules are folders for your Leader Heads, Units, And Buildings. The reson you place these within their own seperate folders is for others to easily take something out and place it elsewhere without too much entry.

Why someone can not just drop the Other folders is this.... Your art definitions will point to where you have placed all your art. For example.
You would place your buttons for your unit in the units folder. it's path would be Modules/Custom Units/{UNIT NAME}/{UNIT BUTTON}.dds. Or in a civilizations case which would require all componants within the Civ's folder itself would have the Path of... Modules/Custom Civilizations/{CIV NAME}/{UNIT}/{UNIT BUTTON}.dds.

No will ever force you to do things in your mod that you don't want to do. But this "CONVENTION" is designed to make things easier for both the Modder and the End User which has no Programming experience.

Now if we don't use these conventions and you decided to edit in a different way and someone else edits in a different way too. Will your 2 mods conflict with each other?. Following these Guidelines you shouldn't have this happen to you unless you both tried to create the same thing. Such as 2 Modders creating a mod for the Same Type with the Same Name.

When you submit a mod to this forum The instructions given to the END USER is to Unzip the Mod into their ASSETS folder within there mod and it will work. So when you do submit something to this forum the things I am checking for is that it will unzip properly into the right Folders and that it does in fact play within the game without Errors on Load. If there is a graphical error or a TXT error after while playing the game. This is where the Bug Report Thread is used.

 

[strategyonly]

I got like four MODULES to work correctly, Regiments, Canada, Poland, and Ethnic Artstyles all in one, but is there someplace to look that i can make an already made MOD into a MODULE then just add these to it?? I tried adding these to a MOD but it overrides the MOD itself and only uses the modules??

 

[purplexus]

I got like four MODULES to work correctly, Regiments, Canada, Poland, and Ethnic Artstyles all in one, but is there someplace to look that i can make an already made MOD into a MODULE then just add these to it?? I tried adding these to a MOD but it overrides the MOD itself and only uses the modules??

This is what all my hard work is for. Is so that all these mods will one day be able to work together. In the request Thread request a mod you want someone to work on next.

 

[TAfirehawk]

I would like to suggest a 'standard' listing of folders under MODULES....

Custom Buildings
      Unique

Custom Civics
      First
      Second
      Third
      Fourth

Custom Civilizations

Custom Leaderheads

Custom Projects

Custom Resources

Custom Technologies

Custom Units
      Air
      Archery
      Armored
      Gunpowder
      Melee
      Mounted
      Naval
      Recon
      Siege
      Special
      Unique
             First
             Second
             Third
             Fourth
             Fifth

Custom Wonders
      National
      World

The modules like EDU, Extended City Radius, etc. will get their own folder directly under MODULES.

Also, in the WoC we have added a folder, UNLOADED MODULES under Assets for people to place modules they don't want to use but not totally delete so they can be copied back into MODULES later.

 

[NikNaks]

Sounds like a great idea, but what do 'First, Second...' etc. mean under Civics?

 

[TAfirehawk]

Sounds like a great idea, but what do 'First, Second...' etc. mean under Civics?

Extra Civic categories....

If the duplicate/un-used tag problem ever gets solved I fully expect 3 new Civic categories coming from ViSa

 

[Impaler[WrG]]

For Civics I'd recommend grouping by the Civic Categories both for the original Categories when your modifying the Civic and new Custom Categories that are full of new Civics so for example.

Custom Civics
--NEWCIVICCOPTION (a new civic group such as several mods have)
----OPTIONCORE (module defining the new category with CivicOptionInfos.xml and its associated Text)
----NEWCIVIC (a new Civic belonging to this new category)

 

[TAfirehawk]

For Civics I'd recommend grouping by the Civic Categories both for the original Categories when your modifying the Civic and new Custom Categories that are full of new Civics so for example.

Custom Civics
--NEWCIVICCOPTION (a new civic group such as several mods have)
----OPTIONCORE (module defining the new category with CivicOptionInfos.xml and its associated Text)
----NEWCIVIC (a new Civic belonging to this new category)

Yeah that sounds better....I will do some updates on the WoC SVN and see how it looks.

 

[Fierabras]

The modules like EDU, Extended City Radius, etc. will get their own folder directly under MODULES.

Wouldn't 'Custom Artstyles' deserve a folder?

Custom Artstyles
---Cityart
---Unitart