[MODCOMP]Localized Starting Techs Mod

[TheLopez]

Localized Starting Techs Mod
By: TheLopez

Last Updated 11/08/06

Version: v0.4w
Patch Compatibility: Warlords v2.0.8.0
MP Compatible: ?
Download Mod v0.4w

Version: v0.3
Patch Compatibility: v1.61
MP Compatible: ?
Download Mod v0.3

Description:
This mod changes the starting technologies of all civilizations depending on
their starting location and the immediate surrounding location. For instance
if the starting plot for a civilization is immediately next to coastal and
grassland plot, plus near ocean plots and maybe some plains then their starting
technologies could be fishing and hunting. Six vectors are used to calculate
the starting technologies:
- Plot Types
- Terrain Types
- Feature Types
- Bonus Types
- River plots (thanks Shqype for pointing that out )
- Leader traits

Each vector has a configurable weight value as well.

Installation Instructions:

1) Unzip this into the "civ4_install_folder\Mods\" folder.
2) Open the CivilizationIV.ini configuration file
3) Change the Mod line to read: Mod = Mods\Localized Starting Techs Mod
4) Load the game.
5) Then play as normal.

-----Game Play-----

Spoiler :

- Starting technologies for all civilizations based on their starting location,
the immediate surrounding location and the civilization leader's traits.

- Configuration options available through INI file to completely customize the
rules used to calculate the starting technologies for civilizations.

-----Notes to Modmakers-----

If you want to use the Localized Starting Techs Mod in your mod I have tried to
make things as easy as possible for you. In the XML files modified sections are
enclosed by:
<!--[TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB]-->
<!-- Localized Starting Techs Mod Start -->
<!--[TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB]-->
and
<!--[TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB]-->
<!-- Localized Starting Techs Mod End -->
<!--[TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB][TAB]-->

In the Python files I have added # < Localized Starting Techs Mod Start > and
# < Localized Starting Techs Mod End > in all of the places that I have made
changes to the original files.

All I ask is that you give me credit.



-----Version Information-----

-----v0.3------

- Added the configurable options allowing players to exclude leader traits when
calculating the localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable options allowing players to increase or decrease the
impact that the leader trait should have when calculating the localized
starting technologies for a civilization.

- Updated the codebase to allow leader traits to influence the starting
technologies for the players in the game.

Spoiler :

-----v0.2------

- Found out that the "Technology Advisor" caches the technology information
resulting in the wrong information being displayed once the starting
technologies had been assigned. Reported by Civmansam.

- Added the configurable options allowing players to define the plot with river
to technology mappings that are used to determine the starting technologies
for civilizations.

- Tweaked the default starting values and mappings.


-----v0.1.x------

- Setup Localized Starting Techs Mod infrastructure

- Added the configurable option allowing players to increase or decrease the
number of starting technologies each civilization will have each time a new
game is started.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to increase or decrease the
range of plots that influence the starting technologies for each civilization

- Added the configurable option allowing players to exclude the plot type when
calculating the localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to increase or decrease the
impact that the plot type of a plot should have when calculating the
localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to exclude the terrain type
when calculating the localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to increase or decrease the
impact that the terrain type of a plot should have when calculating the
localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to exclude the feature type
when calculating the localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to increase or decrease the
impact that the feature type of a plot should have when calculating the
localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to exclude the bonus type
when calculating the localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to increase or decrease the
impact that the bonus type of a plot should have when calculating the
localized starting technologies for a civilization.

- Added the configurable option allowing players to add or remove technologies
that should be considered as starting technologies for the civilizations in
the game. These same technologies must be also be included in one of the
lists for plots types, terrain types, feature types and bonus types.

- Added the configurable options allowing players to define the plot type to
technology mappings that are used to determine the starting technologies for
civilizations.

- Added the configurable options allowing players to define the terrain type to
technology mappings that are used to determine the starting technologies for
civilizations.

- Added the configurable options allowing players to define the feature type to
technology mappings that are used to determine the starting technologies for
civilizations.

- Added the configurable options allowing players to define the bonus type to
technology mappings that are used to determine the starting technologies for
civilizations.

- Fixed a typo when trying to check for None values in variables, note
the list type does NOT have a method called isNone... whooops. Reported by
Civmansam

-----===Credits & Thanks===-----

- Exavier
[TAB]Composite Mod - readme.txt format

- Stone-D
[TAB]SD-Toolkit
[TAB][TAB]
- Dr Elmer Jiggle
[TAB]For providing the INI file parser code allowing for players to
[TAB]customize this mod without having to touch the python code!!!

- Bisonbison
[TAB]
[TAB]For proposing the idea for this mod

- Ornen
[TAB]For proposing the idea that leader traits should influence starting
[TAB]technologies

- Testers
[TAB]Shqype, White Rabbit, woodelf and Civmansam

 

[The Great Apple]

Hmmm.

Did you really need to use the SDK for this one? Surely you could have just stripped off the starting techs in python, then reallocated them, or am I missing something?

 

[TheLopez]

Hmmm.

Did you really need to use the SDK for this one? Surely you could have just stripped off the starting techs in python, then reallocated them, or am I missing something?

TGA,

I would have thought it was that easy too but it wasn't there was no python method to strip and set the starting technologies for civilizations. It would have been a hack to just set if the player had the technology since the dawn of man screen would have still shown the original starting technologies. Go question though, I did spend about 3 or 4 days trying to do it without touching the SDK, but didn't find any good way.

 

[The Great Apple]

Ah - the dawn of man screen. Didn't think of that.

 

[woodelf]

A great idea TheLopez, as I've said before.

 

[onedreamer]

Nice idea.
Could you tell us which are the techs being chosen from as starting techs ?

 

[TheLopez]

The 6 main starting techs: The Wheel, Agriculture, Fishing, Hunting, Mysticism and Mining.

EDIT: These are configurable through the "Localized Starting Techs Mod Config.ini" file though.

 

[Jeckel]

Ooooo, this will be a very good addition to my FirstAge Mod, nice one.

 

[Thunderfall]

Cool mod. No more starting with fishing when there is no fish to fish.

 

[TheLopez]

Cool mod. No more starting with fishing when there is no fish to fish.

That's exactly right, it seemed kinda silly to hardcode the starting values for civilizations. Why wouldn't a civilization with lots of mineral resources not know how to utilize them? Or a civilization surrounded by rivers and oceans not know how to fish?

 

[Sohan]

Wow, this is a really good idea. I think I'll try it soon.

 

[Shqype]

Congrats on the release and the useful modcomp! In your first post you should add rivers as the 5th vector in determining starting technologies.

 

[Olleus]

Starting next to gold/gem is even more important than before then.

 

[TheLopez]

Starting next to gold/gem is even more important than before then.

Not necessarly Lord Olleus, it depends on the configuration of the mod.

 

[Ornen]

Does this unbalance things at all? The main advantage for spiritual leaders is that they get an easy path to an early religion. I really like the concept of this mod, but I just wonder about balance.

 

[TheLopez]

Does this unbalance things at all? The main advantage for spiritual leaders is that they get an easy path to an early religion. I really like the concept of this mod, but I just wonder about balance.

That is an interesting question... hmmm... I smell a new enhancement.

How about this, what if I added the ability to have leader traits also influence the starting technologies? Would this answer your question?

 

[The Great Apple]

He has a point, and that solution seems to be the best to me.

 

[TheLopez]

Ok, the mod has been updated to allow leader traits to influence a civilization's starting technologies.

 

[bisonbison]

Lopez, I just want to thank you for making this happen. This was one of those pot-influenced "why isn't Civ4 more awesome" ideas, and I pretty transparently posted that thread in the hopes someone would like it enough to make it happen.

Good job.

 

[TheLopez]

Lopez, I just want to thank you for making this happen. This was one of those pot-influenced "why isn't Civ4 more awesome" ideas, and I pretty transparently posted that thread in the hopes someone would like it enough to make it happen.

Good job.

Thanks bisonbison, I hope it meets your expectations!