Logistics of a .sav editor

[ejday]

Okay, here's a question. We want to make scenarios, right? 1.29 may still be a while away (possibly an infinitely long "while" away), so what about a .sav editor? We have an editor now, how much a jump is it to tweak the editor into recognizing, preserving and modifying the information from a saved game? At the moment, I'm playing through a flawed game just to make notes on the how the engine works so I can go back and tweak the .bic. Problem is, you need to play forward to a point where you have tech, available resources (and their development) to see if you the tweak you made works the way you thought it would. Being able to tweak rules in a .sav would, well, save a lotta trial-and-error time.

Brad? Senecasax? Anyone?

 

[DiamondzAndGunz]

Well, if it's worth anything at all, there is a PC version of a save game editor, the Civ3 Multi Tool. Never really got it to do anything (works way too slow in VPC), but it has options for doing just about anything (modifying techs, units, etc). Since it is possible to make one, perhaps someone around here could make a Mac equivilent?

 

[ejday]

Originally posted by DiamondzAndGunz
Since it is possible to make one, perhaps someone around here could make a Mac equivilent?

Hey, I'll bring icons and beer!

 

[senecasax]

Originally posted by DiamondzAndGunz
Since it is possible to make one, perhaps someone around here could make a Mac equivilent?

iCivEdit right now is bascially a stripped-down version of the Multi-Tool, with only BIC editing capabilities. AFAIK, the tool won't let you add items to the map, just modify the rules, much like in the BIC. I've dug through a SAV file in a hex editor, and it seems like i could adapt the routines & classes I have in iCivEdit to editing SAV files. I even have the needed decompression routines! I'll take a look, but this is MORE work, and Midterms are in a week. After that & after spring break, i'll see.

 

[ejday]

Originally posted by senecasax
After that & after spring break, i'll see.

It can wait. Midterms are important... study hard!

 

[Trabpukcip]

Originally posted by ejday

It can wait. Midterms are important... study hard!

especially if he/she is studying programation which would make him/her capable of doing it...

 

[senecasax]

Nope. 2 Economics classes (microecon, macroecon), Modern World History, Lego Robotics Lab (this class is sweet), Major American Writers, and Calculus III.

 

[DiamondzAndGunz]

Originally posted by ejday
Problem is, you need to play forward to a point where you have tech, available resources (and their development) to see if you the tweak you made works the way you thought it would.

Hmm, I just remembered something while reading another thread. You can start with all the techs already researched; just go to Player Properties, and select "Future Era." Or, just select all the techs for the "Free techs." Resources required can also be preplaced on the map. Until we get a scenario editor, this can help you test stuff out.

 

[ejday]

Originally posted by DiamondzAndGunz
Or, just select all the techs for the "Free techs." Resources required can also be preplaced on the map. Until we get a scenario editor, this can help you test stuff out.

I hadn't seen the "future era" option, usually just opting for the free techs and resource placement. Give the player (you) cash to prebuild up to the point where the new buildings would be supported... and this all helps. OTOH, it still takes a while to get to that point.
***
Testing, though, led me to think of a lark scenario: your space ship crash landed on a hospitable but populated planet. They're primitive, you're advanced -- and they're not necessarily friendly. No prime directive, your home planet has no idea where you are, you have to build a ship, etc...

 

[elpadrino87]

The beginning eras option is located in the "player props" in the scenario properties window, under starting gold in treasury and above starting units on the left.

 

[Pigumon]

Originally posted by ejday

***
Testing, though, led me to think of a lark scenario: your space ship crash landed on a hospitable but populated planet. They're primitive, you're advanced -- and they're not necessarily friendly. No prime directive, your home planet has no idea where you are, you have to build a ship, etc...

This reminds me a story I read long time ago. I believe it was "The Face of the Deep", one of the Captain Future story, written by Edmond Hamilton. I liked it very much.

The space ship, trasferring prisoners, lost control and landed on an asteroid outside of solar system, which was going to crash into the sun. They, actually Captain Future himself, had scientific knowledge but they did not have any tools or materials to make spaceship work. There were hostile and friendly livings on the asteroid. They started working from the very basics of science and finally made spaceship work to return to the solor system safely.

Maybe some of CFC members can make a scenario like this!

I am not sure we can find any of Captain Future stories in book store, but I still like them.

 

[nmcul]

Lego Robotics Lab

MY GOD! That's really a class??!! Sign me up!!!?

Anyhoo, (after that rash of !s and ?s), am I correct in assuming that a .sav editor would let us make "scenarios" of sorts w/out 1.29? If so, I'm all for it.