In depth look at the WBS file

[Dale]

How do I create a scenario?

Then how do I get into its XML?

Use the in-game World Builder. Manual stickied in main creation forum. There's no xml files for a normal scenario. If you want to mod any xml files, you need to create a Mod folder like "Desert War" and put them in there.

I am trying to make a multiplayer map. I have the map in a working condition but is there a way to randomize the start location? Basicly i set 8 start locations and it will randomly place the players there, like any other stratagy game does.

I ask because atm everyone spawns in the same spot all the time. and personally i get sick of starting in the same spot on the map

To do this, define the starting locs in the PLOTS section, not the PLAYERS section.

When I open up the builder and am editing a unit, I notice you can change the promotions and experience points. At the bottom is a box for "Script". What is that "Script" about?

Don't know. There's also one for cities. I assume it's to run a python script. It'll probably become clear in Jan when the SDK is released.

1. I don't see a way, how to place starting locations without determine leaders. The way I worked out, the leader names and civ names are in German now for all Civ4-versions. I don't want to make also a English, French, Italian, Spain... version of a simple map WBS file. Any hints?

You can define starting locs in PLOTS not the PLAYERS section. That way start locs are random. I don't know how to define random leaders to the player slots though. I don't think it's possible. However, to use the localised language names delete the descriptions, names and civ names.

2. How exactly is game lenght defined? I want to make it possible, to choosing the N° of turns, game speed and so on by the player of that map themself, not by me (the creator of that map). I allready set Speed=NONE, there is no "Victory" line, no "Max Turns", only "world size" is still defined "standard". (here is the file, if you want to have a look) But one player today reported, the game still will be finished in renaissance-"age". Now I don't know why. Any help?

Sorry, there's no way to allow the player to define game length in turns.

Dale

 

[Dale]

dale, on the tutorial u made for making a senario... the ivory color key isnt working when using it on bmp coverting to map... how can i fix this, no ivory appears on my map in the game.. thank u

Have you put the cheat code into you .ini file? See the first post of the World Builder manual for instructions. Otherwise you won't see resources you don't know the tech for yet.

Dale

 

[kswoll]

Dale, do you know of any idiosynchracies with WrapX and the latitudes? I notice when I try to create a flat map by tweaking a map I created in the WorldBuilder, the map is not not flat. However, when I copy the latitude values from a flat map like DesertWar:

top latitude=0
bottom latitude=0

Then the map does become flat and ceases to wrap on the left and right. Is this a rule? In my program, I'm trying to figure out whether I should programatically set the latitudes to zero and prevent users from changing it when WrapX is false. Just curious if you can provide more insight on the relationship and requirements of these two sets of properties. Thanks.

 

[Dale]

Remember, with latitudes, 90 is the north pole and -90 is the south pole. Don't confuse with 180 and -180.

Dale

BTW, I've only made flat maps with zero latitudes.

 

[kswoll]

Remember, with latitudes, 90 is the north pole and -90 is the south pole. Don't confuse with 180 and -180.

Dale

BTW, I've only made flat maps with zero latitudes.

Hi Dale,

Thanks for the reply. However, I'm not quite sure what you're getting at. My point is that there are settings for latiudes (the default, no less) that do NOT work when setting WrapX to true. In other words, taking a map and turning WrapX to true is not sufficient to create a flat map that does not wrap on the X axis. The latitudes must be set to zero (like in the DesertWar map) in order to see a flat map in WorldBuilder when you load it in. I was surprised by this nuance, so I was wondering if there were any other gotchas relating to latitudes and wrapping in general, or if you could provide any clarification for WHY one must override the default latitude values in order to create a flat map. However, your final note that you've only created flat maps with zero latitudes answers my question I think. Thanks.

 

[Dale]

Yeah I've no idea. It's how it works.

Dale

 

[ShroudedMist]

Here is a WBS related question which hopefully someone didnt already ask and get answered.

Does anyone know how to setup a WBS file so that the civilization and start position for a specific player is already set but they then get to choose the leader when they go to load the scenario?

I tried removing the techs listed in the team section since they're associated with the specific leader and the leader specified in the player info while leaving the civilization name. Unfortunately, when you do this that civilization then becomes unchoosable when you go to play a new game.

Any ideas or have I simply missed something obvious?

 

[Dale]

At this point, you can only choose between:

A) Define no players and you can choose from all of them.

B) You define all the players in the game and have to set the leaders for each player.

You can't define players and have multiple leader choices.

Dale

 

[ShroudedMist]

Great Dale. Thx for the reply. That's what I figured when I saw how CivIV handled it when I made those changes. That answers half of my question.

Now, if you choose to have things be random can you have it setup to have the actual start locations preset? Hmm although you've actually answered this since start location is defined in the player info setting.

 

[Junuxx]

I have a question a bit related to the last one.
I have a utility that writes WBS files with StartingPlots defined in the plots section, but it seems that the number of civs starting on the map is not always equal to the amount of StartingPlots placed. Is this correct, and if so, where do I define the number of players?

Any help would be appreciated

 

[vbraun]

Could you add this to the Civ4Wiki? If not can we copy and paste it into the wiki?

 

[Dale]

ShroudedMist:

You can define starting locations in the plot area. The engine assigns a random civ to one of these starting locs so you don't start at the same one each game.

Junuxx:

The more starting locs you define in the plots area, the more randomness is in the actual starting loc chosen for each game. EG: 5 civs, 5 starting locs. Player 1 starts in 1 of 5 locs. 5 civs, 20 starting locs. Player 1 starts in 1 of 20 locs. It's better to have more starting locs for more randomness.

vbraun:

Feel free to add it to the wiki.

Dale

 

[Junuxx]

Thanks for replying Dale, although it wasn't really what I meant.

I'm looking for a way to define the number of civs actually starting on the map. I'd like that number to equal the number of starting plots I defined.

 

[Fireb]

Good work Dale!

One question:

The worldbuilder allows you to remame (instances of) units. However, this information is not saved in the WBS (and according to list of parameters above, there is no way to do this).

Is there any way to mod the .wbs schema to include this (or other) information?

Tnx

 

[Dale]

Not at present. The schemas, and what information is loaded via the WBS (through a python script) and xml are controlled by the DLL.

In Jan we should be able to add our own xml files in, and other information to be loaded.

Dale

 

[Reveilled]

Is there a way I can disable religions in the WBS file? The map/mini-scenario I'm making should only have Christianity as a religion, but a few turns into playing the game, religious holy cities start popping up all over the place.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Couldn't you just edit the technologies so the religions aren't founded?

 

[Reveilled]

Couldn't you just edit the technologies so the religions aren't founded?

Yes, but I'd prefer if there was a way to do this without requiring anything but a WBS download.

 

[Dale]

Is there a way I can disable religions in the WBS file? The map/mini-scenario I'm making should only have Christianity as a religion, but a few turns into playing the game, religious holy cities start popping up all over the place.

Sorry, no. Like mentioned above, you need to disable/delete the techs/religions.

 

[Fachy]

I've been trying very hard to find WHERE to store WBS info for a scenario. So for example, I decide to make a scenario (with no specific map) where I'm using the realistic-religions mod, and I decide to make the turn = 1 season...

It seems impossible to do that without entering world builder from the game (AFTER intializing a new game using the religions mod) and creating a WBS file then editing it!

But I know it isn't impossible coz for instance the Desert War mod doesn't use any WBS files (which I can see), they just have the normal editted xml files in the Mod folder, and yet their turns is not 1 year!