Modding Unit Costs?

[prideaux]

I am coming back to CIV4 again after a break and the only thing that truely bugs me is how slow the start of the game is.

All i really want to mod is the cost of Workers, im happy with the wait for settlers to build but i have the feeling that just altering the cost of workers might make the beginning of the game more engaging.

I have been surfing this forums for a few weeks but seem to get nyself in a huge whirl of modding... but seem to be completely lost. Now i dont have any interests in mod the game seriously but as with CIV3 i was more than happy to go in twidle with the odd setting in the World Builder, but it seems like to do any basic tweaking like adjust unit costs it requires a lot more understanding.

Am i missing the huge flashing red button saying adjust-unit-costs-here-button in the world builder or indeed i cant do that?

If anyone has any links they can post that will push me in the right direction that would be nice

 

[Shqype]

I assume you want to make this change "permanent", so you'de need to add a file in your Custom Assets folder. First, you'de need to find the file that is to be adjusted.

Go to your main CIV 4 directory (in C/Program Files/Firaxis Games/Sid Meier's Civilization 4) and then from there go to /Assets/XML/Units. In that folder there will be a file called "CIV4UnitInfos.xml" which contains the values you're trying to tweak. Copy that file and paste it into the proper place in your Custom Assets folder. You can find this by going back a few levels to the main "Sid Meier's Civilization 4" folder that you were just at and clicking on the "_Civ4CustomAssets" shortcut. That will take you your Custom Assets folder.

Next, go into the XML folder, then into the Units folder, and paste the copied CIV4UnitInfos.xml file there. What this will do is load that file over the vanilla files, so whatever changes made to that file "override" the vanilla game.

If you don't have any programs for XML editing (Altova XML Spy Home Edition is free) then you can just use notepad. Open up the file with notepad and search for the string "worker." First it should take you through the entry of the Settler (which has worker capture animations) but soon after you should get to the Worker unit entry itself. Within that entry you will see many tags and values that define the functions, use, and (most importantly) cost of the worker.

The tag you're looking for in particular is called <iCost>; once you find it, change it to whatever value you like, and then save the file. Next time you start up CIV4, workers will now cost differently depending on the value you set their <iCost> tag to. Keep in mind that value is a base; gamespeed has its own modifier that then further influences cost.

It's not difficult at all, and once you get the hang of it, you'll be doing basic tweaks in no time!

 

[prideaux]

thanks so much, worked like a treat!

now all i have to work out is ... do i have time for one more obsession in life...

civ4
Everquest2
... and civ4 modding... ponders

thanks again

 

[Shqype]

Glad I was able to help