Mod idea: improved interaction with friendly Civs

[G-Max]

Okay, so the Arabs were my vassal, I had a Great Prophet that I had no real use for, so I figured hey, I'll just send this guy over to Mecca and have him build his special super-mosque. But I get there and O NOES I can't do it! I can't even make him join as a super-specialist. All I can do is gift him to the Arabs and hope that they'll know what to do with him.

This needs to be fixed.

 

[Baldyr]

I'm not sure if this any kind of issue needing a fix, but you are of course free to do whatever you feel you need to do. In fact, I encourage you to do just that. So good luck with it!

 

[TheLopez]

I'm not sure if this any kind of issue needing a fix, but you are of course free to do whatever you feel you need to do. In fact, I encourage you to do just that. So good luck with it!

I don't know if I agree with you Baldyr... You should be able to "force" your will in a certain manner on vassal states... especially if its something that would be
"good" for them (change their production, land specialists in their cities, etc.)

 

[Baldyr]

My point would probably be that then there would be no point with having vassals. The whole idea is that they retain some level of independence, right? If you as the master get to dictate everything, they you could have crushed instead of vassaling them. Or, this is what you need to do if you feel that you have to have total control.

 

[TheLopez]

My point would probably be that then there would be no point with having vassals. The whole idea is that they retain some level of independence, right? If you as the master get to dictate everything, they you could have crushed instead of vassaling them. Or, this is what you need to do if you feel that you have to have total control.

Very true, you could have crushed them. And I am not saying that you get to dictate everything. You just should be able to nudge them in the "right" direction if you want. At the very least I like the idea of being able to settle great units in their cities especially if you want to reward them (because I see giving something like that to any civ as a reward)

 

[Baldyr]

No, I'm not at all opposing the idea in itself. I just don't consider it any kind of "issue" myself, but I wouldn't mind if someone "fixed" it either. If it was included in something I was playing I'd probably enjoy that. But I haven't exactly being missing something like that either. I think gifting the GP is precisely the amount of interference you are entitled to...

But anything you wanna change enough to do the actual work - just go for it!

 

[TheLopez]

No, I'm not at all opposing the idea in itself. I just don't consider it any kind of "issue" myself, but I wouldn't mind if someone "fixed" it either. If it was included in something I was playing I'd probably enjoy that. But I haven't exactly being missing something like that either. I think gifting the GP is precisely the amount of interference you are entitled to...

But anything you wanna change enough to do the actual work - just go for it!

LOL, If I can get around to it I will do it... but with the number of things stacking on my plate who knows.

 

[Baldyr]

Oh, that would make G-Max happy, at least. Until he realizes that he'd still need to merge the mod comp with whatever he is playing... He'll end up resenting you for doing it!

It would be very convenient if the game could just dynamically load small DLLs containing individual mod comps... But I guess that it doesn't work that way, at all.

 

[TheLopez]

Oh, that would make G-Max happy, at least. Until he realizes that he'd still need to merge the mod comp with whatever he is playing... He'll end up resenting you for doing it!

Don't you all

It would be very convenient if the game could just dynamically load small DLLs containing individual mod comps... But I guess that it doesn't work that way, at all.[/QUOTE]
Huh, you know after all these years I don't know why I didn't think of that... honestly it shouldn't be hard as long as the smaller DLLs only contained extensions oh wait... we're using C++ not .NET.

On Tuesday I'll talk to some C++ experts I know and I'll see if its technically possible. I'm pretty sure I think it is, I just need to figure out how. You see I've been in C#/.NET land for so long at work that I've forgotten the basic C++/DLL stuff

 

[Baldyr]

I think your work is just outstanding - without ever even trying any of it. But it is unfortunately only available to other SDK modders - to be used in their mods.

The same could really be said about Python mod comps too, since Python code isn't nearly as easy to merge as some people would think... But you can at least put you stuff in a separate module and have people import it to the Event Manager. But then there is the business with the actual function call, all that indentation business and so on and so forth...

I basically think that compiling the DLL should be made easier (I wouldn't really know how hard it is as I've yet to try that my self), somehow. Like to release a dedicated CivIV DLL compiler application, or something. You'd only have to install it and start it up, locate the source code and click "compile". Done. There shouldn't be settings, options or any way of messing it up - without having invalid code in your files, of course!

But I guess this is all wishful thinking. And once I figure this stuff out I wouldn't need any of these aids my self, right?

 

[Fimbulvetr]

a dedicated CivIV DLL compiler application, or something. You'd only have to install it and start it up, locate the source code and click "compile". Done.

Actually this application is called Visual Studio .Net 2003. Yes it does exists, and without such a convenient solution I wouldn't have bothered with it either.

 

[Baldyr]

Actually this application is called Visual Studio .Net 2003. Yes it does exists, and without such a convenient solution I wouldn't have bothered with it either.

Please give me a link where I can download this wondrous doohickey, then.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

You can still get it completely legally over MSDN, it's under Development Tools. Just search for "2003"
Other download options might exist but are not legal.

 

[Baldyr]

Which one to get?

Visual Studio .NET 2003 Enterprise Architect - Full Install (English)
Visual Studio .NET 2003 Enterprise Developer - Full Install (English)
Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional - Full Install (English)

Something completely different?

 

[Fimbulvetr]

They all work as far as I know, some versions just come with more fancy extra features you'll never need than others.
You only need the Prerequisites and 2 install discs, in case you have that option, a full install thing works too though. When you have it, install only the languages you need, ie only C++, the rest would only take up space unnecessarily.

 

[Baldyr]

Ok, does anyone have a handle on exactly what I need to get in order to have so few unnecessary extras as possible? I'm gonna use this thing for one purpose only, so anything I won't be using will only serve to confuse me. Such things might cause me to uninstall...

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Don't worry, I doubt you'd notice them. But I think Professional should be the most basic version.

 

[G-Max]

My point would probably be that then there would be no point with having vassals. The whole idea is that they retain some level of independence, right? If you as the master get to dictate everything, they you could have crushed instead of vassaling them. Or, this is what you need to do if you feel that you have to have total control.

It's not about control over the vassal, so much as control over exactly how much and in what ways I want to help them.

Idea: I should also be allowed to build improvements in their territory and demand that they stop building a certain Wonder. Come to think of it, I should be allowed to demand that anyone stop building a Wonder.

 

[Baldyr]

Don't worry, I doubt you'd notice them. But I think Professional should be the most basic version.

Oh, I need to buy a subscription in order to download...

 

[TheLopez]

Oh, I need to buy a subscription in order to download...

Baldyr, you could always download Eclipse, its free and really good: http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/eclipse-ide-cc-developers/heliosr