Modding Q&A

[Oni Ryuu]

It’s not easy to remember all of the restrictions imposed when you editing buildings. Is anyone willing and able to make a table that explains when an attribute can apply; ideally someone that knows the answers rather than tasking someone to test everything?
e.g.

Edit: I’ll write down what I know so far and ask other members to fill in the blanks or correct mistakes.

 

[Bluemofia]

This has been done before (relatively speaking).

All things that an improvement can do, GW/SW can do.

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/da-rules-explained.210035/#post-5161450
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/modded-wonders-imps-not-cumulative.122757/#post-2888569

 

[Nathiri]

Wait so defense bonus given by improvements doesnt stack????? Like giving 10% from one and 10% from another to 20%?

 

[Bluemofia]

Wait so defense bonus given by improvements doesnt stack????? Like giving 10% from one and 10% from another to 20%?

It was discussed in the other thread, and yes, they don't stack. They just use the highest one.

 

[Nathiri]

So you cant just make requirement buildings that build up defense bonus..... That's sad... It was a good purpose to have extra military related buildings besides just a few flags.

 

[Bluemofia]

Oh, 75% missile interception (SDI) and Increased Army Value aren't properly tested.

The 75% missile interception is either 75% roll per GW/SW that has it checked, or non-cumulative, so one is 75%. It's an easy test, although tedious. First give the AI 2 SDI wonders, and then nuke their territory ~100 times (ideally more, like 1000 times).

If your missiles hit ~6 times, it is cumulative. ~25 times means it is not.

Army Value, I don't quite understand the exact mechanics myself, but it is similar to test, although I recommend getting a baseline of what is normal behavior first, by testing with 0 Increased Army Value and 1 Increased Army Value wonders first before moving onto multiple.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

So you cant just make requirement buildings that build up defense bonus..... That's sad... It was a good purpose to have extra military related buildings besides just a few flags.

You can. If you use your example above: If Building 1 gives 10%, then have building Building 2, which requires Building 1 give 20% (instead of 10%).

 

[Nathiri]

You can. If you use your example above: If Building 1 gives 10%, then have building Building 2, which requires Building 1 give 20% (instead of 10%).

Yeah I got that much from what Bluemofia said "They just use the highest one."

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Yeah I got that much from what Bluemofia said "They just use the highest one."

From the way your comment was worded it didn't seem like you understood how to use multiple buildings to stack defense.

 

[Oni Ryuu]

Thanks Bluemofia, that helps.
I’ve spotted some stuff that means I’m going to need to change some buildings.

 

[Oni Ryuu]

Hi guys I’ve assembled a simple table to reference but I need to fill in the gaps. Can anyone with confirmed results say what they know?

 

[Oni Ryuu]

Can a resource required for the construction of units be restricted to just one city without removing roads or disabling harbours?

Can any of the road, irrigation, mining or resources graphics be updated as you begin a new age?

I’ve noticed in a number of mods, members using multiple search entries for several mod folders.
Can you prioritise a folder by placing it first?
I want to have a main folder that becomes the second place to search for multiple mods using most of that data. I’d have a much smaller folder (the primary folder) for each of my mods with specific graphics, civilopedia and labels text.

 

[Bluemofia]

Can a resource required for the construction of units be restricted to just one city without removing roads or disabling harbours?

No. The best we have for units restricted to some cities is the army flag (restricted to army units only though), autoproduction, and artificial cutoff of resources.

Can any of the road, irrigation, mining or resources graphics be updated as you begin a new age?

No. Roads/Rail/Irrigation/Mining/Resources are stuck at the graphics they have. People have tried to create roads that turn into rails in the past to avoid 0 movement railroads, but no luck.

I’ve noticed in a number of mods, members using multiple search entries for several mod folders.
Can you prioritise a folder by placing it first?
I want to have a main folder that becomes the second place to search for multiple mods using most of that data. I’d have a much smaller folder (the primary folder) for each of my mods with specific graphics, civilopedia and labels text.

Yes, but I'm not sure of the exact search order. For example, you can re-write the pediaicons.txt to point the settler graphic to the worker graphic instead, without actually having the worker graphic present in your new folder. Alternatively, identically named files are also possible.

There is an order of operations somewhere, and I suspect it is as you say, first in the list is first searched.

 

[Oni Ryuu]

Thanks Bluemofia

No. The best we have for units restricted to some cities is the army flag (restricted to army units only though), autoproduction, and artificial cutoff of resources.

I wanted to have an Ancient Greece scenario where each city has a resource named after the city.

You could only produce basic forms of units from your cities that you can then upgrade in a city of your choice. Each city’s unit menu would have variations in stats and appearance such as Spartan hoplites or Cretan archers.

No. Roads/Rail/Irrigation/Mining/Resources are stuck at the graphics they have. People have tried to create roads that turn into rails in the past to avoid 0 movement railroads, but no luck.

I suppose I could ask players to rename the folders containing the graphics at certain times. The main downside would be that they’d have to reload the game to see the change in graphics.

Yes, but I'm not sure of the exact search order. For example, you can re-write the pediaicons.txt to point the settler graphic to the worker graphic instead, without actually having the worker graphic present in your new folder. Alternatively, identically named files are also possible.

That’s good. I can save space on my and other people’s computers.

 

[Bluemofia]

Thanks Bluemofia

I wanted to have an Ancient Greece scenario where each city has a resource named after the city.

You could only produce basic forms of units from your cities that you can then upgrade in a city of your choice. Each city’s unit menu would have variations in stats and appearance such as Spartan hoplites or Cretan archers.

Sounds similar to the Napoleonic Wars Scenario Steph was working on way back in the day. In essence, only expensive, poor stats garrison units are buildable, the rest are spawned by improvements that require the city/nation resources to build (ex: Bavarian (Coalition) Infantry 3HP), and upgrade to different king units for different civs (ex: Bavarian (Allied) Infantry 4HP for the French, and Bavarian Line Infantry 5HP for the Bavarians).

These two links are worth looking into for reference:
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/king-units.290076/page-2#post-8217502
https://forums.civfanatics.com/thre...onic-wars-scenario.322845/page-6#post-8361849

 

[Oni Ryuu]

I like what Steph’s done; it adds layers to the game without tying up your editing options. What I want wouldn’t work without restricting the resources to individual cities.
I’ll have to strike that one of my modding to-do-list.

 

[r16]

That’s good. I can save space on my and other people’s computers.

ı would say it's a bad idea . There have been cases where people have gone that route , because they see they have the scenario in their folders and then some people don't . It crashes the scenario and it will take days of correcting all the text files and the lot . ı don't think disc space is a problem these days .

 

[Oni Ryuu]

I’m not totally clear on what you mean.

Are you saying that someone may not know to download both folders; or that the game sometimes fails to find the information despite having both folders?

 

[Blue Monkey]

ı would say it's a bad idea . There have been cases where people have gone that route , because they see they have the scenario in their folders and then some people don't . It crashes the scenario and it will take days of correcting all the text files and the lot . ı don't think disc space is a problem these days .

I’m not totally clear on what you mean.

Are you saying that someone may not know to download both folders; or that the game sometimes fails to find the information despite having both folders?

If one or more of the folders are not available the scenario will crash the game. This would mostly become an issue if you are calling on folders from other scenarios or mods. If your scenario depends on anything not included in the download (beyond standard Firaxis content) make sure that is included in the instructions.

If one or more of the folders are installed in a path that differs from what you have set up then the scenario may not find them, and thus crash. For example, some people have made scenarios/mods that are very sensitive to whether they are in the Conquests or the Civ Content folders. Some of us have the game installed in a non-standard location (different drive for example). If your scenario is unusually path-sensitive that needs to be included in the instructions as well.

If it's just a case of multiple biqs sharing a set of folders then as long as they are all in the same path it should be fine. MEM is a good example of that.

 

[Oni Ryuu]

The TLC (solo) game would only need the TLC folder. The TLC Mercantile (multiplayer) game has different terrain buildings, labels and civilopedia text. The mercantile version would need a separate mercantile folder to show the information specific to that mod in addition to using the TLC main folder for the majority of data.

The idea is to produce a variety of mods using the TLC main folder without essentially duplicating it.

From what I can tell, I could have a master folder that stores all of my collective works simplifying what the player needs to do to install each game.

Each successive mod would only be dependent on the TLC folder in the master folder.

The Mercantile BIQ would search TLC Master Folder > Mercantile, TLC Master Folder > TLC then the standard Civ stuff.