making an apocalyptic mod. "Project Aftermath"

[ghost toast]

in this forum i will post and discuss the progress of my mod.
i will post pictures of my model's progression starting with the base model and what i call a rough import.
a rough import will have the same dds texture file for every mesh as the ground decal.
i will post progress pictures of every model as they are being created.
i will build a base model then add street dressings/ and rubble piles.
then i will make the dss files very last until then every material will be same as the ground decal dds placeholder file.

after tile models i will then do units, then the coding.

i don't have a name for it yet but i will dub this Project Aftermath.

it will be after a nuclear apocalypse, a fallout/mad max style setting.

the first era will focus on surviving and scavaging the ruins and reclaiming old technology from the modern era.

then progressing into a futuristic/steampunk/sci-fi era focused on rebuilding the world.

Spoiler first ruins :

View attachment 629668View attachment 629666View attachment 629665View attachment 629667View attachment 629669View attachment 629664View attachment 629670View attachment 629672

*edit*

i have added a few things i have not made. that i have found here and there over the years.
I would say i have only made the uncolored ruins 1-6 and project Eden and DC nothing else as to this point. the rest are of various other artists that i do not know and cant remember where it came from

*edit#2*

i recently deleted old posts and with pictures of art that is no longer being used to shorten my thread and to clear clutter.
as time went on i changed the way i was doing certain things and figured out better or easier methods.

 

[ghost toast]

i have also cracked the code for changing city graphics ill post some pictures for those 1 day when i come up with models for them.
unfortunately that part will have to be a dlc mod, that will have to be dropped into the correct dlc folder like the mod terrain texture enhancement 2k mod found here https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/terrain-texture-enhancement-2k.570307/
i have yet to figure out how to change these models outside of civ's game files

i wont be rushing into that aspect yet, very little testing has been done about this yet, but i have replaced the capital with things and i have changed the city building graphics but to nothing new, i only remade the amer_anc_city gr2 file but with asia city meshes. that was just to test how to set up the city gr2 models correctly. eventually ill make different scrap building city sets to fit my mod. when i go to do this part i will make and post a city graphics template for all cultures for who those want to make their own and ill make a new thread some where specifically for those templates.
its not as complicated as you think it needs 20 models set up with specific names.
but that's where the testing comes in. is it the models names, mesh names, vertex names, or it even the index number probably not, but idk yet.

 

[ghost toast]

i guess i should talk a little about my ideas for the mod.

Era 1 will be the blood and rubble era. (its a bad name some one help me name it lol)
it will focus on making savaging camps improvements. various ruins will give small amounts of resources/yields and ect with scavenging camps.
this will be done by making a scavenging camp per ruin tile i make. naming them in game as the same camp but they will all be different with the same named improvement and the same sort of look. this is done so certain ruins can give food/science/money/resources/weapons and ect but still use a scavengers camp named improvement. giving 1 improvement the appearance of having a lot of variety of yields.
then on top of that ill be making resources for this era the resources will be abandoned building like warehouses, military installations and research facilities. i will also make some resources destroyed vehicles, planes and other destroyed "old war" relics.
Era 1 combat will consist of melee units and gunpowder units, progressing into artillery, missiles, and phasing out of melee combat.
everything above melee will require strategic resources giving melee units an early game purpose leading into the end of that era.
ending the era combat wise with rebuilding old war vehicles

Era 2 to will the reconstruction era
This era will involve researching technology that will allow you to remove ruins and make new tile improvements. giving the appearance of rebuilding the world.
this era will consist of re-engineering more pre-war technology taking you fully to the modern era combat system and a little beyond.

Era 3 will be the last war era.
tensions will be increased, ideologies will be founded, the fate of the new world is in your hands.

how will the world be rebuilt, through co-operation, or through force?
will you bring culture back to civilization or more war?
What will the future of humanity look like?
This era will decide the future, will it be built on your ideas and philosophies or another's?

for this era i want to redo the ideologies and maybe even look into adding more ideologies, taking a small inspiration from civilization beyond earth.
i've seen a mod that allows you to take 2 ideologies perhaps ill look into how he did that idk yet. he did it by allowing you to take half of each ideology tenets. i kinda like that idea.

i do have the unit models i'm using for each era. when i do the units ill see how many i can reskin and add meshes too to make some new units, figures crossed i'ver never tried it.
i have a ton of units if i can master changing out their weapons i can have even more.
besides collecting my models i haven't done much on units yet.

i have played around with fx triggers and civilization's visual effects for a long time in my other private projects. i have never posted any of my new effects but i have some locked in the idea vault for this project
there are so many effects that can be used as other effects with simple rotation and scaling. Civ even has some unused effects if you look hard enough.
Things you never thought would be an effect if done and combined right look awesome.

 

[ghost toast]

after i make some city set templates to work out of later on, ill get back to making more ruins.
maybe ill go back and forth on doing ruins and city sets idk.

 

[The_J]

Looks very nice, you have all the basis for your mod together already .

Now that I'm thinking... maybe @Deliverator would be interested to see this.

 

[ghost toast]

Since I haven't built anything I'll talk a little more about units.

I've worked on in the past and plan on bringing in 40k units from this mod

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/wh40k-teaser-mod-60-144-new-units-some-other-stuff.449649/

I plan on using just about all of them.
The units need to be rescaled in blender. Or like I've done in the past make custom scaled down effects for the units.

I'm going to make 2 civs using the orcs 1 being yellow and the other green. Just like mutants from fallout.

But as for the 40k units. Many of the humans will be late game units.
The Tyranids I may have to re-use models reskinning and making new fx triggers to set them apart.

I'm thinking I can add the aliens from beyond earth to boost there ranks. Civ BE should be plug and play idk yet they use the same engine.
The Tyranids will be more like a swarm race with genetic mutations rather then a focus on technology of coarse unlocked by technology.
I can reskin 1 give it all new effects and it can be a different unit.
I'm thinking some acid spitters, ones that emmit smoke as a ranged defence having a bonus to ranged combat.
I can make screechers that look like they are screening out shockwaves as a ranged attack.

I'm thinking some of them could be suicide units running in to blow themselves up.
Or to run in and emmit an energy charge

I have a bunch of other effect ideas I have played around with in the past.

 

[ghost toast]

I'll also be using some stuff from the mod fearun

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=217840547

I have some ideas for some of the most mondane fantasy units.
For example the orcs idk if it's in that mod or not. But somewhere out there are orc settlers and they have a small lizard. I might make that a new type of opacolyptic lizard resource.

As for other resources I'll reskin the cows to be brahmin from fallout.
Although If people are happy with the cows not moving like they do and staying perfectly still do to my lack of animation experience I can add in real brahmin but they won't move like the cows do slightly during the games.

 

[ghost toast]

I'll be snagging some code and ideas from the wild life reborn mod here

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=680230366

I like the way it functions. Spawning units on certain terrain and certain units at certain times of the game based on tech.
The animals and dinos in the do not spawn on barb camps they spawn on normal tiles.
Forests jungles plains grassland desert coast ect, ect...
I can expand on that concept bringing wildlife to the opacolypse.
I'll be making raider and mutants the barbarians.
I might even try to make a second barb faction that would be interesting. Having 1 as raider and another as mutants.
And have wildlife spawn on the map.
I'll be using the Tyranid units for some wildlife and for others it will be animal reskins.

Dispite them also going to be in the barb unit roster the raider, mutants, and Tyranids will be playable factions I want to have in the game.

By the time I'm done with civilizations they should all feel completely different.
I'll be taking the building and unit class over rides for civilizations to the extreme.

It's going to be quite interesting the way I may do this it's just an idea as of right now but it is the easiest way to achieve the diversity I require.

I can made a disabled technology. Assigning many things to it.
This way I can micromanage and pick and choose what faction gets what. Even elimating building that every one else may have access to but your faction won't.

Then Assigning the class over rides for civilization to correspond to a new existing tech.

Civ will only show the first 2 unique components for a civilization. That won't matter to me.
The factions will be so diverse and different from 1 another I won't be able to list all the unique components on the loading screen anyway.
I'll be adding so many unique components to each civ / faction. They should all feel completely different.

 

[ghost toast]

For the Tyranids I plan on not giving them workers at all. Certain units they make will be able to make different tile improvements beyond just there combat abilities or initial purpose.
Sort of like how the Roman legionars can make roads and forts.
This will give each member of your Tyranid colony another purpose with in your hive colony besides combat making them more hive minded or ant like.
I think I will also give the Tyranids more improvements early on before most others. Giving them the appearance of already somewhat adapting to the new destroyed world terriforming it into their hive lair.

 

[ghost toast]

I have some do able ideas brewing. I've already seen many of the things I want to do done just not on the scale I plan to do them. But people ideas and concepts will be my stepping stones for many things.

 

[ghost toast]

So i have to ask. Hows it looking so far. Anything you guys would like to see in this "scrap city" city set.
besides the dds file. im not making those until the models make the final cut for the mod.
Should i add more stuff like a water tower.

i think there are a few to many barrels at times.
i need to fix the overlapping issue.
this is harder then other models as civ places them somewhat randomly.
the cooking brahmin doesn't seem to show up as much as i liked.
for the most part i think the cars and sandbags are placing well.
Some of my scrap buildings aren't showing up as often as i hoped either.
i have some showing up to much and other not showing up enough yet.

 

[Iconian]

I'm just going to start making observations as I go through this thread.

The first thing I noticed early on was that your buildings all look very similar, too similar. But, maybe you change that later on, so I'll wait until I reach the end to comment more on that.

As to Washington D.C.? My gut says don't make it right now. Maybe later, but for the time being I'd worry about getting the main basics of you mod figured out. Later on I would consider it.

And since you specifically ask about what we think your mod should do--regarding being the USA or even Earth--I would say, make multiple versions of the same mod. Again, first start with the basics, the framework of the mod, that could be applied to any post-apocalyptic planet. When all of that is done, release it as a standalone mod. Call it Ghost Coast Apocalypse or something.


Later, add in Washington DC, the Statue of Liberty, whatever other things you want that are specific to Earth. Release that stuff in a second mod called GC Apocalypse: Cool Scenario Name Here.

Gives players more choice when it comes to deciding what they want to play.

Buildable world wonders:
Mad Max Thunderdome
Half Life 2 Citadel and Black Mesa East

Natural wonders:
Walking Dead--Center for Disease Control & Prison
Planet of the Apes--Statue of Liberty Hand
The Postman--Bridge City
Zombieland
Half Life--Black Mesa
Left 4 Dead--Mercy Hospital
Left 4 Dead 2--Whispering Oaks
Resident Evil--Looking Glass House
28 Days Later--Balfron Tower
The Mist--Arrowhead Project
The Tripods--White Mountains




Lots of cities as well you could include in the mix--City 17 from Half Life 2, Bridge City and Pineview from The Postman, Raccoon City.


Regarding trees, I'd say reduce their numbers. But you might also consider another mod with few or none.

Eras
1: Survival
2: Fighting Back
3. Rebuild
4. Last War



I don't know where you've looking besides Fallout for ideas, but here are some I'm familiar with:

Games:
Rebuild 1 & 2
Half Life 2
Neo Scavenger (mostly forests, you may look at the buildings in that game for inspiration)
Caravaneer 1 & 2 (almost entirely desert settings)

Movies:
The Postman
World War Z
I Am Legend
28 Days Later
Shaun of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead


I'd look at some pictures of these games and movies.

28 Days Later Henry West great general, probably lots of others from other media

President Madagascar from game Pandemic.

I am legend Great Doctor Robert Neville--you could have a zombie virus spreading through cities or something, and doctors would help to treat the virus, with great doctors getting closer to cures to varying extents.


Feral ghouls--can't you just have the game randomize which type barbarians get?




Ok, I finished going through the thread. The big thing that stuck out to me was that the tone of gray for your buildings is too boring--I would have more variety, slightly different tones of gray, brown, etc, instead of the same color for all your buildings.

Ok, so I think that's good for now, should serve to give you some fuel for your mod for a while

 

[ghost toast]

I'm just going to start making observations as I go through this thread.

The first thing I noticed early on was that your buildings all look very similar, too similar. But, maybe you change that later on, so I'll wait until I reach the end to comment more on that.

As to Washington D.C.? My gut says don't make it right now. Maybe later, but for the time being I'd worry about getting the main basics of you mod figured out. Later on I would consider it.

And since you specifically ask about what we think your mod should do--regarding being the USA or even Earth--I would say, make multiple versions of the same mod. Again, first start with the basics, the framework of the mod, that could be applied to any post-apocalyptic planet. When all of that is done, release it as a standalone mod. Call it Ghost Coast Apocalypse or something.


Later, add in Washington DC, the Statue of Liberty, whatever other things you want that are specific to Earth. Release that stuff in a second mod called GC Apocalypse: Cool Scenario Name Here.

Gives players more choice when it comes to deciding what they want to play.

Buildable world wonders:
Mad Max Thunderdome
Half Life 2 Citadel and Black Mesa East

Natural wonders:
Walking Dead--Center for Disease Control & Prison
Planet of the Apes--Statue of Liberty Hand
The Postman--Bridge City
Zombieland
Half Life--Black Mesa
Left 4 Dead--Mercy Hospital
Left 4 Dead 2--Whispering Oaks
Resident Evil--Looking Glass House
28 Days Later--Balfron Tower
The Mist--Arrowhead Project
The Tripods--White Mountains




Lots of cities as well you could include in the mix--City 17 from Half Life 2, Bridge City and Pineview from The Postman, Raccoon City.


Regarding trees, I'd say reduce their numbers. But you might also consider another mod with few or none.

Eras
1: Survival
2: Fighting Back
3. Rebuild
4. Last War



I don't know where you've looking besides Fallout for ideas, but here are some I'm familiar with:

Games:
Rebuild 1 & 2
Half Life 2
Neo Scavenger (mostly forests, you may look at the buildings in that game for inspiration)
Caravaneer 1 & 2 (almost entirely desert settings)

Movies:
The Postman
World War Z
I Am Legend
28 Days Later
Shaun of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead


I'd look at some pictures of these games and movies.

28 Days Later Henry West great general, probably lots of others from other media

President Madagascar from game Pandemic.

I am legend Great Doctor Robert Neville--you could have a zombie virus spreading through cities or something, and doctors would help to treat the virus, with great doctors getting closer to cures to varying extents.


Feral ghouls--can't you just have the game randomize which type barbarians get?




Ok, I finished going through the thread. The big thing that stuck out to me was that the tone of gray for your buildings is too boring--I would have more variety, slightly different tones of gray, brown, etc, instead of the same color for all your buildings.

Ok, so I think that's good for now, should serve to give you some fuel for your mod for a while

i love your notes great work i will look into the things you have stated.
as for the buldings they are all gray cause i have not colored them yet.
these are mainly concept art at this point idk what im keeping but ill be making 20 more ruins before i start coloring them.

as for right now i haven't make any buildable buildings for my mod.
i need to finish the tech tree once i have made all the units and building art.

but for right now im only on how the ruins and city sets look. besides that they don't have any color. i haven't done that part yet. the generic gray on everything is just a place holder dds file.
im not making the custom direct draw surface for my models until im done with model creation.
once i have made them all and decided what makes the cut, ill color them. as for right now im only worried about the 3d structure of the models.

i have yet to full make or post them but i have some world wonders to build with building models.

but for right now as it stands im only worrying about making the models for my setting as of right now.
ill be replacing trees with ruins in a way.

so ill need many ruins with lots of veriety.

then i need resources.
like crashed planes/satellites
ruined tanks/vehicles
abandoned/ruined factories.

this will be a complete overhaul for civ 5. a completely brand new game.
if you seen it in civ 5 it wont be in this mod basically.

i have a ton of work still to do
i have been going through my models for the last week. im gathering and sorting them for what ill need/want.

i will take several things you said into consideration.
i love your ideas keep em coming.
ill look to make them one day in the future.

As for different versions i have also tossed that idea around. making multiple different scenarios.

i'm so glad some one finally is gonna help me with ideas and talk this out with me.

 

[ghost toast]

using the eras line in the art defines.
i can make the palace go through those above phases.

those will be the last 3 era phases

<ArtDefine_Landmarks>
<Row>
<Era>ERA_1</Era>
<State>Any</State>
<Scale>1.0</Scale>
<LayoutHandler>SNAPSHOT</LayoutHandler>
<ResourceType>ART_DEF_RESOURSE_ALL</ResourceType>
<ImprovementType>ART_DEF_PALACE_ALIEN_1</ImprovementType>
<Model>PALACE_ALIEN_1.fxsxml</Model>
</Row>
<Row>
<Era>ERA_2</Era>
<State>Any</State>
<Scale>1.0</Scale>
<LayoutHandler>SNAPSHOT</LayoutHandler>
<ResourceType>ART_DEF_RESOURSE_ALL</ResourceType>
<ImprovementType>ART_DEF_PALACE_ALIEN_1</ImprovementType>
<Model>PALACE_ALIEN_2.fxsxml</Model>
</Row>
<Row>
<Era>ERA_3</Era>
<State>Any</State>
<Scale>1.0</Scale>
<LayoutHandler>SNAPSHOT</LayoutHandler>
<ResourceType>ART_DEF_RESOURSE_ALL</ResourceType>
<ImprovementType>ART_DEF_PALACE_ALIEN_1</ImprovementType>
<Model>PALACE_ALIEN_3.fxsxml</Model>
</Row>
</ArtDefine_Landmarks>

<ArtDefine_LandmarkTypes>
<Row>
<Type>ART_DEF_PALACE_ALIEN_1</Type>
<LandmarkType>Wonder</LandmarkType>
<FriendlyName>Alien Palace</FriendlyName>
</Row>
</ArtDefine_LandmarkTypes>

I believe wonder is correct there if not use improvement it shouldn't matter.


in the buildings xml
make a new palace class
use the friendly name above make in the landmark art defines

in the civilization xml use the palace class override buildings to replace it with the new alien capital.

i should start adding and starting the process of flushing out some of the civilizations
the main thing stopping me is i need artwork for them.

I think i should start with adding the alien civilization.
using the mothership omicron mod.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=657125471

ill be taking mainly the artwork for the civ. and expanding heavily upon the creators mod.

i think ill do that now so i can get these 3 alien palaces in the game now

 

[ghost toast]

im not sure how the palace should start off in the game.

Mothership Omicron uses a crashed spaceship. i could do that but i don't like that idea.
i want it to be more of a colony not a crash landing.

I want the aliens to be a drastically different civilization. from every other.
The earth will start being colonized by them. but you will decide what the fate of the colony will be.
are you here for earth's resources?
are you here to conquer?
are you here to trade?
are you here to even help the earthlings after seeing them destroy themselves?

this will be done by making choices with world wonders and national only the aliens with have access too.
world wonders and national wonders once built will block other ones. making the choices.
these wonders will sometimes not be buildings.
I'm thinking for the alien only national wonders. it would be something like galactic republic decisions. choosing between more diplomatic things or war related things.
other things like requests for things. your colony request things from your main alien civilization.
Building national or world wonders.
request for resources (giving free and resources unique to the aliens)(resources you can either horde or trade to the earthlings, resources the alien monopolize completely)
request for defensive units (giving free units only gained this way)
and other things.

I'm thinking even things like whether or not you trade with the earthlings or your main alien race. or both.
aliens will only gain trade routes through there special national wonders.
choosing to spend recourses they mine on earth on them, but the pay off would be money or special recourses. or a free great person, or something idk yet.
or by getting a trade route to trade normally with the earthlings.

hopefully by the time the aliens are all said and done they will feel more like a colony having to gear up towards a specific goal or need.
you will make these decisions but block others. most of these will be small decisions that slowly build upon one another allowing you to go into them all.
choosing between a new type of unit or building or a new trade route, or even culture

i want them to almost feel like they have to almost ask for permission to conquer earth, or trade with them, or do a lot of stuff.
i want it to feel like they already had the ability and the technology but they needed permission by there governing body,
they need to gear up towards making more and more weapons here on earth or asking for more and more invasion units.

or the other directions are you here to deplete earth of its resources while the humans are dying off.

are you here to uplift and save humanity with your superior culture.

 

[Iconian]

Wow, you posted four big posts just since I wrote that last night? You're nothing if not prolific

 

[Iconian]

Expect that it will be a while before I read them though.

 

[ghost toast]

The wonder route didn't go as i had hoped and i learned some things about wonder model and improvement era model variants.

i had to do this one by making an improvement setting up and an Lua to place the improvement on the capital. Provided by the omnicron alien mod or what ever it was.

local iCivilizationBMAliens = GameInfoTypes.CIVILIZATION_BM_ALIENS

include("MapmakerUtilities")
include("MischaIteratingPlotsFunctions.lua")

local allPlots = {}
local ring1Plots = {}
local ring2Plots = {}

local allTerrains = {}
local ring1Terrains = {}
local ring2Terrains = {}

local allFeatures = {}
local ring1Features = {}
local ring2Features = {}

function GetCount(array, index)
  return array[index] or 0
end

function IncCount(singleArray, combinedArray, index)
    singleArray[index] = (singleArray[index] or 0) + 1
    combinedArray[index] = (combinedArray[index] or 0) + 1
end

local namingFunctions = {}

function AnalysePlots(pPlot)
  allPlots = {}
  ring1Plots = {}
  ring2Plots = {}

  allTerrains = {}
  ring1Terrains = {}
  ring2Terrains = {}

  allFeatures = {}
  ring1Features = {}
  ring2Features = {}

  allResources = {}
  ring1Resources = {}
  ring2Resources = {}

  for pRingPlot in PlotRingIterator(pPlot, 1) do
    IncCount(ring1Plots, allPlots, pRingPlot:GetPlotType())
    IncCount(ring1Terrains, allTerrains, pRingPlot:GetTerrainType())
    IncCount(ring1Features, allFeatures, pRingPlot:GetFeatureType())
    IncCount(ring1Resources, allResources, pRingPlot:GetResourceType())
  end

  for pRingPlot in PlotRingIterator(pPlot, 2) do
    IncCount(ring2Plots, allPlots, pRingPlot:GetPlotType())
    IncCount(ring2Terrains, allTerrains, pRingPlot:GetTerrainType())
    IncCount(ring2Features, allFeatures, pRingPlot:GetFeatureType())
    IncCount(ring2Resources, allResources, pRingPlot:GetResourceType())
  end
end

function IsBMAliensCiv(iCivType)
  return (iCivType == iCivilizationBMAliens)
end
 
function IsBMAliensPlayer(iPlayer)
  return (iPlayer ~= -1 and IsBMAliensCiv(Players[iPlayer]:GetCivilizationType()))
end


function OnSetBMAliensPopulation(iPlotX, iPlotY, iOldPop, iNewPop)
      -- Is this an alien city?
    print("Calling OnSetBMAliensPopulation")
    local pCity = Map.GetPlot(iPlotX, iPlotY):GetPlotCity()
    local pCityName = pCity:GetName()
      if (IsBMAliensPlayer(pCity:GetOwner())) then
        print("Alien city (" .. pCityName .. ") has changed population.")
        print("Previous population: " .. iOldPop)
        -- Has this city just been founded
        if (iOldPop == 0) then
            print("Was 0 pop")

            local iCityOwner = pCity:GetOwner()
            print("Owner is: " .. iCityOwner)
            local pPlayer = Players[iCityOwner]
            print("Civ is: " .. pPlayer:GetCivilizationShortDescription())
            local pCapital = pPlayer:GetCapitalCity()
            print("Capital City Object: " .. tostring(pCapital));
            if (pCapital ~= nil) then
                print("Capital City Name: " .. tostring(pCapital:GetName()));
            end

            if (Players[pCity:GetOwner()]:GetCapitalCity() ~= nil) then
                print("Non-capital city founded.")
                SetBMAliensCityName(pCity)
            else
                local pPlot = Map.GetPlot(iPlotX, iPlotY)
                pPlot:SetImprovementType(GameInfoTypes.IMPROVEMENT_ALIEN_PALACE_1)
            end
        end
    end
end
GameEvents.SetPopulation.Add(OnSetBMAliensPopulation)

Then this Lua to make it progress as i want to too. civ doesn't allow for as many era state variants as i would have hoped for.
Maybe i should do a re-install delete my mod user data and cashe folder
something screwy could have happened with it during my escapades

--------------------------------------------------------------
local AlienPalace1 = GameInfoTypes["IMPROVEMENT_ALIEN_PALACE_1"]      
local AlienPalace2 = GameInfoTypes["IMPROVEMENT_ALIEN_PALACE_2"]              
local AlienPalace3 = GameInfoTypes["IMPROVEMENT_ALIEN_PALACE_3"]      

local AlienPalace2Era =     GameInfo.Eras["ERA_CLASSICAL"]
local AlienPalace3Era =     GameInfo.Eras["ERA_MEDIEVAL"]

local width, height =         Map.GetGridSize()
local terrainTundra =         GameInfoTypes.TERRAIN_TUNDRA
local featureForest =         GameInfoTypes.FEATURE_FOREST
local terrainDesert =         GameInfoTypes.TERRAIN_DESERT
local terrainSnow    =     GameInfoTypes.TERRAIN_SNOW
local featureFloodPlains =     GameInfoTypes.FEATURE_FLOOD_PLAINS
local featureJungle =       GameInfoTypes.FEATURE_JUNGLE
local featureMarsh =         GameInfoTypes.FEATURE_MARSH
local plotHills =          PlotTypes.PLOT_HILLS

--0 is Marathon 300%, 1 is Epic 150%, 2 is Standard 100%, and 3 is Quick 66%

local iGameSpeed = GameInfo.GameSpeeds[Game.GetGameSpeedType()].GrowthPercent / 100
local AlienPalace1_Threshold =     2 * iGameSpeed
local AlienPalace2_Threshold =     2 * iGameSpeed
local AlienPalace3_Threshold =     2 * iGameSpeed

local MapTable = {}

function UpgradeAlienPalace1(plot, pPlayer)
    if plot:GetImprovementType() == AlienPalace1 then  
        if MapTable[plot] == nil then --Only initialize when it's a new one
            MapTable[plot] = {type = AlienPalace1, counter = 0}      
        end
        if AlienPalace2Era.ID <= pPlayer:GetCurrentEra() then
            if not plot:IsImprovementPillaged() then
                if plot:IsBeingWorked() then
                    MapTable[plot].counter = MapTable[plot].counter + 1
                    if MapTable[plot].counter >= AlienPalace1_Threshold then
                        plot:SetImprovementType(AlienPalace2)
                        MapTable[plot].type = AlienPalace2
                        MapTable[plot].counter = -1              
                    end
                end
            end
        elseif MapTable[plot] ~= nil and MapTable[plot].type == AlienPalace1 then
            MapTable[plot].type = nil
            MapTable[plot].counter = nil
            MapTable[plot] = nil
        end
    end
end

function IsValidForAlienPalace3(plot)
    if (plot:GetTerrainType() == terrainSnow) then
        return false
    elseif (plot:GetTerrainType() == terrainDesert and plot:GetFeatureType() ~= featureFloodPlains) then
        return false
    else  
        return true
    end
end

function UpgradeAlienPalace2(plot, pPlayer)
    if plot:GetImprovementType() == AlienPalace2 then
        if MapTable[plot] == nil then
            MapTable[plot] = {type = AlienPalace2, counter = 0}      
        end
        if AlienPalace3Era.ID <= pPlayer:GetCurrentEra() then
            if not plot:IsImprovementPillaged() then
                if plot:IsBeingWorked() then
                    if IsValidForAlienPalace3(plot) then
                        MapTable[plot].counter = MapTable[plot].counter + 1
                        if MapTable[plot].counter >= AlienPalace2_Threshold then
                            plot:SetImprovementType(AlienPalace3)
                            MapTable[plot].type = AlienPalace3
                            MapTable[plot].counter = -1
                        end
                    end
                end
            end
        end
    elseif MapTable[plot] ~= nil and MapTable[plot].type == AlienPalace2 then
        MapTable[plot].type = nil
        MapTable[plot].counter = nil
        MapTable[plot] = nil
    end
end

function IsValidForTown(plot)
    if (plot:GetTerrainType() == terrainTundra and plot:GetFeatureType() ~= featureForest) then
        --print("Not Taiga")
        return false
    else
        --print("Valid for Town")
        return true
    end
end

function DowngradePosts(plot)
    if plot:GetImprovementType() == AlienPalace2 and (not IsValidForAlienPalace3(plot)) then
        plot:SetImprovementType(AlienPalace1)
        MapTable[plot].type = AlienPalace2
        MapTable[plot].counter = -1  
    elseif plot:GetImprovementType() == AlienPalace3 and (not IsValidForAlienPalace2(plot)) then
        plot:SetImprovementType(AlienPalace2)
        MapTable[plot].type = AlienPalace2
        MapTable[plot].counter = -1  
    end
end

function UpgradePosts(PlayerID)
    local pPlayer = Players[PlayerID]
    for y = 0, height-1 do --loop through the whole map
        for x = 0, width-1 do
            local plot = Map.GetPlot(x, y)
            if Players[plot:GetOwner()] == pPlayer then
                UpgradeAlienPalace1(plot, pPlayer)
                UpgradeAlienPalace2(plot, pPlayer)                                  
                DowngradePosts(plot)
            end
        end
    end
end

GameEvents.PlayerDoTurn.Add(UpgradePosts)

I learned to add completely new wonder models to the game for building i i might have to replace existing ones civ 5 models with models of the same name.
thats not a problem anway i wasn't gonna use them anyway i want all new everything. as much as i can.
this is learning more and more towards being having tp strictly be a dlc mod added to the dlc folder instead of using civs mod section.
I can be a lot more intrusive that way and it would be multiplayer compatible if every play has it in theory

 

[ghost toast]

Spoiler First in game look at the alien capital :

there is an error with the left side of it i need to flip the texture surface around in blender it is inside out on that side
i also need to put the models lower down in blender they are up to high

No dds yet, it is gray and colorless like the rest so far. i do have some dds files for it but i haven't ever looked at them.
they might same me a little time ill jut recolor them maybe. i might not like em or they might be perfect. ill check em out and or create a dds at a later date when i do the dds files in build. i have a lot of custom dds files to make.
I just need to flip the texture surface around in blender and re-export it.

 

[ghost toast]

Wow, you posted four big posts just since I wrote that last night? You're nothing if not prolific

ya i been posting not stop on here since i started it.

hopefully people will throw me a bone and jot down some ideas and thought like you did.

ideas people come up with ill try to make it happen.

even if im not on that part yet it will be immortalized here for when i am on that part.

after i do all my graphic design and units and can finish my tech tree and really work that out and see what all i can do how sci-fi can i get.
the unit reskins and the units in my collection and reskins of them will be what defines how sci-fi i can get.

when i get to units ill see about testing bringing in psb files from other games.

and making models as effects too.

but that after making the ruined earth setting I'm going for.