Looking to Start a Mod, need Help

[WonderBill]

Hello, this is my first post. I've decided to try to make a simple mod. I think it would probably fall under a "scenario," but I'm not even sure of that. Here's an overview of what I want to have:
1) 2-4 teams against each other.
2) small maps with borders and little to no water.
2) only one city per team.
3) you start with all the units you will have, you can neither build nor research anything. (each team will have about 16-20 units)
4) when one certain unit is killed, you lose.
5) If your city is taken, you lose.

So, I guess my question is...how do I do it? At the moment I only know how to change unit attribues and class types, but that should be all I need for the units themselves. As for arranging the gameplay (and whether it must be a "mod" or "scenario," and what the difference is) and making it so you only get those units, I am completely in the dark. I don't even understand how to use worldbuilder...I am confused because it requires me to have a game started, so how can I make and save my own maps? Perhaps a short worldbuilder tutorial would be best. (if one exists, please point me to it!) Well, thanks for any help!

-Wonderbill

 

[primordial stew]

Maybe just start small random maps till you get something reasonable (#2), at least in size, and then save it. This will be your starting point. Now get out a text editor.

#1 can be set in the wbs, as can #2 (the second one). #3.. I'm pretty sure that has to be done in the xml. For units just change iCost to -1, this will make them non-buildable. For techs, set bDisable to 1 for all of them.

There is a thread on using vim for edits. It's difficult at first, but it's the most efficient way to do many of these tasks. YMMV.

#5.. yes, but I don't know how.

#4... this may have to be done in python. There is a thread on "regicide", but I don't know if it was ever put out as a modcomp. You'll have to search.

There should be some basic "how to make a mod" topics, but basically create your own directory tree and copy the files you are editing into there (ie don't edit any files that came with the game). The game works by searching first in the mod for files, and if not found there the one from the game will be used (ie you only need to copy the files you change).

 

[NwabudikeMorgan]

Ok, in order:
1-that can be set up in the custom scenario menu
2-just pick a small great plains or pangea with low sea level
3-Worldbuilder for the units, (techs and units you need to fiddle with the XML)
4-look in the warlords barbarian mod for how to do this (regaring the CAMP unit)
5-make it "one city challenge" in game settings

 

[WonderBill]

Thanks for the input so far guys. I've got my map built and the units on it. I'm having a problem,however, and it's that my scenario doesn't show up in the scenario list. My file is called "Chess2.CivBeyondSwordWBSave" and I have located it in the folder "My Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\Public Maps" but it does not show up. I can only load it by personally opening the WBS file and playing from it directly.
I did the "one city challenge," but it doesn't say I've won when I destroy the enemy city. The game just keeps going. As for the camp unit suggestion and the techs, thanks, I'll look into changing them soon. Oh, I'm stuck with it always being France and Vikings...any way to change that?
Also, I have no cache folder anywhere, so that makes emptying it rather difficult. I looked where it was mentioned on the forums and nothing exists...any ideas about that? My last bit of trouble for the moment is having the unit names changed. As you can tell, it is a chess mod, so I'd like them to show up as "pawn, bishop, rook, etc." Thanks again! I'm off and running!

 

[NwabudikeMorgan]

Alrighty, so:
seems like your location for the map is fine... odd that it doesn't show.... had the same problem with a friend of mine's BTS last weekend.

Actually, rather than using one city challenge you could just remove the settler as an buildable unit, thus removing the ability to have extra cities.

make sure you have complete kills turned OFF if you want it to end the game after the capture of the single city, regardless of how many units are left.

regarding the France-vikings thing, you can choose the teams you want if you open the WBSave file in notepad, textedit, or an XML editor, and change the teams like that, b ut whatever two you pick, you're gonna have to play with, i think because you'll have to use that WBSave file if you want all your units that you laid down to work.

unit names is super easy.
just make a folder for your mod, make two subfolders called PublicMaps and Assets. Make a folder called XML in assets, and a folder called Units within the folder called XML. Put your WBsave map into publicmaps folder, and then go into the BTS assets and copy over the file in Assets/XML/Units/Unitinfos.xml to your assets/XML/units folder you just made. open up this file in notepad or whatever you use, and change for example, for if you wanted a warrior to be a Pawn find the warrior unit in that file, and change <Description>TXT_KEY_UNIT_WARRIOR</Description> to <Description>Pawn</Description>

 

[NwabudikeMorgan]

oh; to make the settler unbuildable, go into that unitinfos file i was just talking about and, under settler, change <iCost>100</iCost> to <iCost>-1</iCost>

 

[WonderBill]

Awesome! Thanks a lot. I've got all my unit names, and as a solution for the king being killed and that's how you win, he's got a move of 0 and starts in the city. So, you have to kill him to win. Used the -1 cost, and now there's nothing to build! It's just about finished except for the fact that I still can't see it as a scenario choice.

Oh, does anyone happen to have any idea how to make only one unit allowed per square? That would really help with the whole "chess" feel. The computer AI is horrible at this, and just puts its whole team in one square and sits there. Thanks again!

 

[NwabudikeMorgan]

Yeah, always happy to help

That thing with the AI is awful, it's been such a nuisance in countless situations, haven't figured out a workaround using just the XML, so I think you might just have to play against other people.

and again, make sure you've got the map in BTS/Mods/Chess(or whatever you made it)/PublicMaps
best of luck