[MOD] Colonization: 2071

[Newfloridian]

Does the 1-tile radius apply to excavated PMs as well? - or can those experts retrieve 'goodies' from out in the fields? I seem to remember in a mod quite a while ago that you could build a 'staging post' between settlements that would allow such collections.

Alan

 

[orlanth]

Kailric had an nice modcomp with outpost forts, not sure if this is going to be added to M:C. I actually kind of like the 2-tile city radius in RaR though I know some people have mixed opinions about it.
The current mod has the standard game's 1-tile radius, like the regular game you'd need to create colonies that claim adjacent resources. There is an ability to harvest asteroid resources remotely using the Mining Vessel, and gather scientific resources from some Deep Space features like Anomaly and Dark Matter with a Science Vessel. (this doesn't use the Whaling Boat feature, but instead uses clearing of a terrain feature so it doesn't remain in place permanently after harvesting).

 

[Newfloridian]

I don't know how closely the underlying code to Civ4 and Civ4Col are so am not sure how mods in one might be available to mods in the other.

From time to time I have been playing c2c (Caveman to Cosmos) for Civ4 - gee, it plays soooo slow, though!! - but there are a couple of things I noticed in a recent incarnation (version 28 although it's gone up again since then). Settlements are enabled to spread to a 3-tile workable radius after a certain research point is reached. Also, after a certain research point, workboats are enabled to build tunnels which speed the transmission of goods offshore to a coastal settlement.

btw: Do like the sound of Kailric's Forts although having read his thread, looks as if he had to take material from Civ4 to activate it

Alan

 

[raystuttgart]

I don't know how closely the underlying code to Civ4 and Civ4Col are so am not sure how mods in one might be available to mods in the other.

Considering technical aspects almost anything from Civ4 can be reused / adapted for Civ4Col.
(It is not "plug-and-play" though. You usually need to merge and change very carefully. And to do so, you need to know a bit about Civ4Col modding.)

 

[sydgin]

Hello,

A few words to offer to translate Colonization:2071 in French. Just send me a text file that I would translate, then I send it back to you.. I have the time, and this extension deserves to be used by everyone!

Best..

Cyril

 

[orlanth]

Wow, merci beaucoup Cyril - c'est sympa sydgin!

Actually, I've wanted to eventually try doing a new version 2 of this mod, possibly later this year if more people are interested.

Peut-être serait meilleur attendre pour m'aider avec le 2ème version, afin que ne doit pas refaire le tache entier? (Excusez mon mauvais français, comme peut-être vous pouvez voir j'ai bien besoin de traducteur natif pour ce mod!)

edit: also, I now realize most text names were put in the <Description> tag in XML files, which made creation much quicker & error free but would lead to difficulty for translations of the current version unless the whole mod is remade. I seem to remember someone (Dazio or isabelxxx?) had created a nice utility to repair such deficiencies & make txt_key creation easier but can't find it, anyone else know of this?

 

[sydgin]

I had a look at assets/XML/Text folder and files : it's ok for me, and I started translations. Even if you have planned a new version, these translations will probably be useful. I will post here when done.

 

[clanky4]

I recently redownloaded your mod after redownloading civilization colonization and noted that some of the unit graphics did not make much sense. So I went ahead and added in some unit graphics to replace some of the out of place looking units.

Spoiler :

From left to right and top to bottom: Abomination, alien, alien hybrid, alien human hybrid, industrious cyborg, elite alien warrior, alien brave, convict, convoy, and pioneer/fisherman.

I also made an armed brave alien, and an alien cultivator(just an alien with a green shirt)

If you would be interested in adding any of the unit graphics to your mod I can post a link. (I mean I think I can, I don't think that it would be too big to attach)

 

[orlanth]

Thanks clanky4, those look great!
I especially like your cool Aliens, they look very Whitley Streiber-esque Sure feel free to upload if you can I've been thinking it could be cool to have UnitArtStyles for the different alien species (for Amphibians and Felids the Argonians and Khajits from Elder Scrolls mod, the lizardmen from Fall Further for Reptilians, your Aliens for Empires of the Green and Grey, etc)

 

[orlanth]

On a sad note it looks like the whole sourceforge site I had made for this mod has vanished
http://sourceforge.net/projects/col2071/
I was going to suggest you upload there, but.. It was there a short while ago but now suddenly gone; I have no idea what happened or why?

 

[clanky4]

Seems the unit files were small enough to attack directly to the website I also put in the XML art defines for the units.

 

[Newfloridian]

I'm still having trouble with Progenitor facilities. I have a Progenitor Metropolis (also says Industrial Complex) within the nine tile radius of one of my settlements from which I have removed the killbots. The square yields 3 uranium or 3 food. I have tried to develop it with an ordinary labourer, a hardy labourer, an intrepid archaeologist with tools and an intrepid exlorer - but none have any effect. I also have a brilliant physicist in the settlement and have completed Progenitor Symbology. What am I missing here?

I have now reached turn 360 on my current game - playing as NAFTA. I have a dynamic varied economy based on eleven settlements in one corner of the map. Most aliens are pleased to see me. I do however have two observations here which I wonder could be improved:

On one occasion in a previous game, one alien group went from 'pleased' to 'friendly' - probably after I helped them attack another settler. Is there a possibility that the aliens could offer defensive treaties - which could last into a war of independence?

The other is, I think, something of a weakness in the original game. There are times when an alien comes to you and gives up a settlement, saying something along the lines of how wonderful they think you are. The settlement then becomes a ruin and the aliens move away. I've always thought that a bit tame. Would it not be possible for the alien to offer to join our federation with some degree of mutual benefit? Similarly would it be possible to encourage outlying settlements of rivals lying along a mutual border to 'flip' if I am an overwhelming force?

Otherwise great play! Just wondering now how long I should go before Independence is declared.

Cheers Alan

 

[orlanth]

Thanks Alan, glad to hear you're succeeding in colonizing some planets!

I'm not noticing any problems using the Progenitor Facilities once the Killbots are conquered, but OTOH I've gradually been making some minor improvements to the mod over the months so maybe it's different from the current version on wpc. In the version I have, the Industrial Complex gives +4 Industry (hammers) for anyone who controls it and an additional +4 after you discover Nanofabrication. Note that this lets you generate some entirely free production in your colony without the need for a source of Plasteel . Once you eliminate the Killbots (and excavate the Ancient Mound if its buried), assign a worker to the Industrial Complex tile from your city screen and choose the Field Engineer profession to crank out production via automated Progenitor drones. Try it out & let me know if its working in yours. If not I'll upload an updated version soon with clanky4's graphics and sydgin's French translation once it's done.

The Progenitor facilities (the ones found in the tile of a Progenitor Metropolis, most often after defeating the Killbots and excavating an Ancient Mound) are "Improvements" in game terms (ie similar to a Farm or Mine, so you can't build other Improvements like the Expedition on top of them). Separate from the Progenitor Facilities there are also a variety of ruins and archaeological sites which are "Resources" in game terms (eg Ruined Biosphere, Grand Ziggurat, Antediluvian Catacomb, Sacrificial Pit etc) where you can send an Intrepid Archaeologist to launch an Expedition on the tile and extract further bonuses from there, particularly after you know the appropriate techs.

The other is, I think, something of a weakness in the original game. There are times when an alien comes to you and gives up a settlement, saying something along the lines of how wonderful they think you are. The settlement then becomes a ruin and the aliens move away. I've always thought that a bit tame. Would it not be possible for the alien to offer to join our federation with some degree of mutual benefit? Similarly would it be possible to encourage outlying settlements of rivals lying along a mutual border to 'flip' if I am an overwhelming force?

I agree, sounds like a cool feature I wouldn't know how to program that myself, but the Medieval modcomp has made a similar new feature with "Vassals". Together with the updated tech, trade, and combat systems Kailric & nightingale have been making, it's looking more and more tempting to have aliens abduct that mod's codebase for a long overdue update to this one!

I have now reached turn 360 on my current game - playing as NAFTA. I have a dynamic varied economy based on eleven settlements in one corner of the map. Most aliens are pleased to see me.
Otherwise great play! Just wondering now how long I should go before Independence is declared.

Cheers Alan

Just use the Revolution Advisor to check out how many oppressive forces the NAFTA President has, and if you've generated enough Liberty and think you can take him then go for it! I'm sure you can smash him, that smarmy televangelist especially as The Major General. LMN how it goes!

 

[Newfloridian]

Hi! Yes, the options are working as you explained. If it's of interest, I've attached a copy of my current savegame. Will also send PM

I also noted that you cannot build a City Center in a settlement captured from a rival (compare Boston (mine) with Tampa (previously European)) and therefore are denied eg Research Institure etc in that place for ever!. Is this by accident or design? I would have thought that once my influence rises above a certain level (I would have thought over 50%) then this would become available.

Cheers Alan

 

[orlanth]

Wow looked at the savegame & I'm impressed!
Looks like you're developing very well with a diverse economy, strong fortifications and the Space Elevator; and you've got 21 Directors, including my favorite the Mind Control Parasite

I also noted that you cannot build a City Center in a settlement captured from a rival (compare Boston (mine) with Tampa (previously European))

That results from it having <bNeverCapture>1 , which IIRC had to be done due to the way buildingtypes worked in the old tech modcomp. You could change the City Center's <YieldCosts> to the following in Assets/XML/Buildings/Civ4BuildingInfos.xml to make it buildable, not sure if that might cause problems with Aliens but I don't think so if it's excluded from them in Civilizationinfos.

			<YieldCosts>
				<YieldCost>
					<YieldType>YIELD_HAMMERS</YieldType>
					<iCost>50</iCost>
				</YieldCost>
			</YieldCosts>

I notice you colonized the standard "New World" map; make sure to check out TC01's awesome Planets mapscript too if you haven't done so!

 

[Newfloridian]

I have moved the game on another 60 turns or so and am looking forward to the 'end game'. I'm really using the scenario as a sandbox now to see how the mod develops. I have virtually completed the research tree (only Corporate Investment; Offworld Banking and Polymorphic Alloys remain). All aliens are 'pleased' with me except for Androrc, 'annoyed' and TC01, 'friendly'. Of the other nations, 3 are pleased, 2 are cautious and 3 are furious.

I have a very productive colony with each settlement specialising in a particular commodity. I am now building up my military capabilty to supercede the Edxpeditionary Force:

Me: 23 Soldiers (4 veterans); 1 Mech; 11 Artillery; 8 Warships; 138 vehicles; 2011 weapons
Them: 22 Stormtroopers; 9 Heavy Mechs; 9 Devastators; 8 Warships

There are some specific issues which I can't explain (references are to the map on the attached savegame)

A. How do I build Devastators? I have Arsenal built in several locations (Washington, Tallahassee) I can build Artillery but the option for Devastator does not appear

B. My Space Elevators don't work. Currently several settlements have huge sticks of some materials (Tampa 420 Fusion Cores; Atlanta 358 Narcotics). I've tried tweaking the Giovernor Import and Export controls setting Tampa to import Plasteel and Export Fusion Cores but nothing seems to happen. I am reliant on an armada of freighters to transport the materials

C. 'Dead' spots on the map. From time to time, I come across map squares which cannot be developed. There is one such in the working perimeter of Gotham. It's the north east square which currently shows four food and two spores. I have stood a hardy labourer on the tile (as a marker) but I cannot get it to develop as a farm or lay down a road.

I would also appreciate any thoughts on what else I might be doing with this colony

Cheers Alan

 

[orlanth]

I have moved the game on another 60 turns or so and am looking forward to the 'end game'. I'm really using the scenario as a sandbox now to see how the mod develops. I have virtually completed the research tree (only Corporate Investment; Offworld Banking and Polymorphic Alloys remain). All aliens are 'pleased' with me except for Androrc, 'annoyed' and TC01, 'friendly'. Of the other nations, 3 are pleased, 2 are cautious and 3 are furious.

I have a very productive colony with each settlement specialising in a particular commodity. I am now building up my military capabilty to supercede the Edxpeditionary Force:

Me: 23 Soldiers (4 veterans); 1 Mech; 11 Artillery; 8 Warships; 138 vehicles; 2011 weapons
Them: 22 Stormtroopers; 9 Heavy Mechs; 9 Devastators; 8 Warships

There are some specific issues which I can't explain (references are to the map on the attached savegame)

A. How do I build Devastators? I have Arsenal built in several locations (Washington, Tallahassee) I can build Artillery but the option for Devastator does not appear

B. My Space Elevators don't work. Currently several settlements have huge sticks of some materials (Tampa 420 Fusion Cores; Atlanta 358 Narcotics). I've tried tweaking the Giovernor Import and Export controls setting Tampa to import Plasteel and Export Fusion Cores but nothing seems to happen. I am reliant on an armada of freighters to transport the materials

C. 'Dead' spots on the map. From time to time, I come across map squares which cannot be developed. There is one such in the working perimeter of Gotham. It's the north east square which currently shows four food and two spores. I have stood a hardy labourer on the tile (as a marker) but I cannot get it to develop as a farm or lay down a road.

I would also appreciate any thoughts on what else I might be doing with this colony

Cheers Alan

I managed to build a Farm on the tile near Gotham (see digging guy in screenshot), not sure why you couldn't but maybe control was contested by the nearby Syndicate outpost at Sin City.

Sales from the Space Elevators can be seen in the Event Log (3rd button from the left on the top), "a surplus has been sold due to storage capacity" is from buildings like Space Elevator and the others are from consumption through Domestic Markets demand generated by your citizens and buildings. Traders at the Space Elevator can sell only a fraction of surplus each turn, so its kind of a "safety valve" for trade (especially post revolution) rather than totally replacing other exports.

Devastators are the unique units of the oppressive Earth Governments (similar to how the Royal Artillery in vanilla game is slightly superior to colonial Cannon units). So during the invasion the Earthers will likely succeed in capturing some cities at least initially, and you'll have to fight back and destroy as many forces as possible in the field. It could help tactically to start accumulating more Vehicles and Mechs since you still have relatively few compared to the President's forces.

I also noticed you've got the Prodigious Alien Hybrid which will give a combat bonus to all your Hybrid units; the Interplanetary Tactician will enhance their movement plus gives a general EMP Cannons promotion which is useful against enemy Mechs. You've managed to accumulate 14 Alien Hybrid units; they're very useful as workers but before revolution I'd also start preparing to arm some of them as Soldiers or Mecha Pilots to take advantage of these bonuses.

Also be aware that almost all your Rebel Sentiment is concentrated in 4 colonies, before declaring independence you can use your Artful Politicians to build wider support for the rebellion. Other than that I'd say you are close to ready for a revolution victory!

 

[Newfloridian]

Also be aware that almost all your Rebel Sentiment is concentrated in 4 colonies, before declaring independence you can use your Artful Politicians to build wider support for the rebellion. Other than that I'd say you are close to ready for a revolution victory!

I have a feeling this brings my query about not being able to build city centers in colonies captured from the opposition into sharp focus. I have six colonies built myself, and six captured from elsewhere. This means that the scope for moving Artful Politicians around is going to be strictly limited. Also tight on reaching the 50% overall rebellion target - and does it matter that I will have six large and highly productive colonies (Tampa, Orlando for instance) which remain at 0% when independence is declared?

I guess an option would be to build another couple of colonies from scratch somewhere inland - maybe as a holding area for reserve forces

Cheers Alan

 

[orlanth]

Try editing the xml as in this message to make them buildable

You could change the City Center's <YieldCosts> to the following in Assets/XML/Buildings/Civ4BuildingInfos.xml to make it buildable, not sure if that might cause problems with Aliens but I don't think so if it's excluded from them in Civilizationinfos.

Code:

			<YieldCosts>
				<YieldCost>
					<YieldType>YIELD_HAMMERS</YieldType>
					<iCost>50</iCost>
				</YieldCost>
			</YieldCosts>

 

[Newfloridian]

I'll try that edit and see what happens - might be a useful first foray into looking at XML!

Actually though, I was thinking that my current situation is quite like the situation in the American States (the thirteen of them!!) in 1776-7. There is an interesting article here which describes the myths of the American Revolution including: II. Americans Of All Stripes Took Up Arms Out Of Patriotism. After the initial enthusiasm the Continental Army was kept going by cajolery, bribery, conscription and the use of immigrants / slaves (cf alien hybrids). Some places may well have remained loyal to the English Crown.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Myths-of-the-American-Revolution.html?c=y&page=2

It is said that 15 and 20 percent of the 2.5 million whites in the colonies were Loyalists, or about 500,000 men, women and children and about a quarter of these fled the colonies once the War was lost (and curiously I renamed most of my 'loyal' colonies - ie those I had conquered from other settlers and couldn't built city centers / bells - after Floridian cities!!).

This is how my map looks at the moment with six settlements actively enthusiastic for rebellion and six settlements completely opposed. Maybe not easy to program into the game concepts, but I think an interesting 'complication' to the declaration of independence!

Cheers Alan