I Want To Create New Units!!!!

[white rabbit]

I thought this was supposed to be the most moddable version of civ yet. Yet with no way to edit or create units for the game (other than colouring the exiting units), we modders are unable to manipulate one of the most rewarding aspects of the scenario creation. Who remembers these excellent scenario units from Civ 3:
The Beefeater units from english middle ages
The maccabees from Hebrew history
Terrorists from the middle east
various WWII unit designs

The list goes on and on..... no offence, but an "undead warrior" (a normal warrior unit with grey skin), is inventive, but just doesnt cut the mustard.

In every other version of civ it has been reasonably simple to create or edit units -what decent scenario didnt have its own units ? Yet in Civ 4, there is currently no way to create your own units for a scenario other than "colouring" the existing units. The "nif" files for the units are currently uneditable, even if you download "Milkshake 3D" the software package they were supposedly created on. So even if you have experience using 3d modelling software you have to make do with the units that come with the game. That sucks!!!

The most moddable Civ yet???
Come on Firaxis, what are you playing at!!!

If you agree with this, please respond to this thread!!!

 

[vbraun]

Did the Civ3 editor even have a way to add new units a couple months into the release? This is the most moddable civ yet.

Give Firaxis time. They are still working on things they have promised to release, for example TF just posted a Pitboss beta. Firaxis is still working on things. Just because something doesn't exsist now doesn't mean it won't exsist later.

Also you posted this in the wrong forum...

 

[Haarbal]

thats the harsh world of computer games.
good looking 3d models arent easy to create, so they can't put in a simple paint like program in the game to create new units. give firaxis time (i like copying sentences ) to get some more bugs out the game and sooner or later, they'll release the sdk, so you can start creating units.

haarbal

 

[jungatheart]

The ability to add new unit models, not just reskin old ones, will be available when the SDK is released.

The scheduled release is early 2006, so I suggest you wait a month before complaining any more.

 

[vbraun]

The ability to add new unit models, not just reskin old ones, will be available when the SDK is released.

The scheduled release is early 2006, so I suggest you wait a month before complaining any more.

How does being able to change core game elements allow us to import models into the graphics engine? The SDK in no way guarentees such a thing will be possible. They are only giving us tools to play with Civ4 not the Graphics Engine.

 

[white rabbit]

OK so I know im ranting a bit, and I can be patient da da da....

but

The models in the game dont look very complex, in 3d modelling terms. Simple solid models with mapped textures. Ive downloaded the 3d modeller I found in one of the forums called "milkshake 3D" - its no where near as complex a software package as say 3d studio or Maya.

I guess the reason for the rant is that in civ 3 the units saved in a multi - platform format that you could easily access - ok, you had to know paint shop pro, or similar - but they were accessible.

It wouldnt have been too difficult to save them as say dxf or 3ds files?

 

[The Great Apple]

I guess the reason for the rant is that in civ 3 the units saved in a multi - platform format that you could easily access - ok, you had to know paint shop pro, or similar - but they were accessible.

No they weren't, not out of the box. There were never any official tools for Civ 3 units - they were all fan-made, and the first didn't start appearing until about a year after the game was released.

 

[Rabbit, White]

@white rabbit: First of all, where do you get off stealing my avatar name!?
J/k
Anyway, regarding saving the models as DXF/3DS files. While it probably wouldn't have been difficult to do, you'd still have no way of importing them into the game engine (i.e. NIF files). To do that you'd need a plugin or a program, and I'm guessing either or both of these will come with the SDK. As for why didn't release the plugin right away, well I'm sure they have good reasons, at the very least it could have something to do with their Gamebryo license.

 

[JBG]

I miss the good old days of Fantastic Worlds. It was so*easy* and so much fun back then...

Now it's getting harder and harder.

 

[Zurai]

How does being able to change core game elements allow us to import models into the graphics engine? The SDK in no way guarentees such a thing will be possible. They are only giving us tools to play with Civ4 not the Graphics Engine.

Incorrect. They've already said there will be plugins and/or converters released so that we can make new models.