Modmaking Checklist: Tips & Tricks

[WildWeazel]

If you have any tips and tricks for making mods, post them here. This includes reminders about files and settings, hidden effects of editor settings, useful or harmful bugs, etc. If we get a lot of helpful responses I'll see if a mod will sticky the thread.

One idea I have been promoting lately is the "renegade unit" concept that I found out from ocedius: If a unit has 0 def and HN set, it can exist in the same tile as a foreign unit. Also, if it is given bombard ability, it will bombard any incoming unit, even if it's friendly. This would be most effective and realistic with mines, IMO. You can read the gory details in this thread.

And of course the classic: The arrows on the science advisor backgrounds are PART OF THE PICTURE FILE and do not automatically change when you move the tech icons. You have to manually edit the science_XXXX.pcx files.

Some other tips that come to mind that someone may want to explain:
1. When you add a lot of resources, there is some sort of bug that makes resources repeat after number 31 or something like that. Details?
2. Certain Global warming effects will not work, like converting between land and sea terrain. Does someone have the complete list?

Please post any other hints, tips, trips, bugs, etc that you think wil be helpful for beginning or advanced modders to know.

 

[Zeekater]

I always write down a lot when I'm modding a scenario, it helps with visualization IMO.

Giving improvements negative pollution might cause problems, it caused the game to freeze and stop responding (it probably doesn't know what to do)

Changing the 'border factor' is hazardous too for the same reason.

Think outside of the box

 

[WildWeazel]

Yeh, I write down everything, and even make Excel sheets for units and techs.

Somewhat obvious, but remember to use the AI strategy flags- the AI treats them like the words of God, and will only use units that have a flag. This can be a problem because sometimes you want to use a unit in a way that doesnt allow any flags.

 

[Zeekater]

Just found out the hard way: be cautious when giving stuff negative integers. Sometimes the game can't handle it.
It sometimes works, like for defense on terrain, but it can cause trouble.
So, if your game freezes, these are the ones that could be causing it.

 

[Antrine]

Come on guys, waste a month, we are behind you! Just go through the forums, extract all the tidbits and anything else we need to know with all great ideas to boot. Alphabetize. Make easy for us to download and print! There, wahla we finally, finally have our modder bible we desperately would love to have.

Here is the last tip, I just gave a new modder: General Tab select none for barbarians if you really want no barbarian because once you mod out barbarians camps they still show up anyway, but this way they will be empty.

Start on a fresh Conquest Editor created map, for importing from CIV2 though possible is hazardous, not worth the hours you may end up throwing away!

 

[WildWeazel]

Do you know exactly what it can't handle?

The AI will hunt down units with Hidden Nationality as if they are barbarians. This could be good or bad depending on how how you use your units.

 

[WildWeazel]

I would rather everyone voluntarily post what they know, or else we might as well all go sorting through the forum looking for what we need If I get a lot of info I'll organize it in the first post and maybe make a downloadable collection.

 

[Dom Pedro II]

Umm... worker rates only double once even if a civ gets two techs with this feature? Same for wealth production?

Coast tiles has produce disease for cities?

The AI will use Settlers with 2 MP even if they don't have Defense units that can go that fast.

The AI will not use land transports.

The AI also won't really use "King" units you may make if you want units that can be produced to upgrade to units that can't.


Also, has anybody noticed that the AI doesn't seem too keen on Cruise Missiles either??

 

[Colonel Kraken]

Oh, I like this idea. It goes hand in hand with the thread I opened here. 'Course you probably already knew that.

 

[WildWeazel]

Actually that was my intent

 

[The Last Conformist]

If you make immobile land units, make sure you uncheck the "load" order. Failure to do so will cause the game to irretrievably crash whenever the AI tries to put a such unit in a transport, which it will do if given half a chance.

 

[Mr. Do]

ahaha, I was wondering just how the arrows worked after messing around with some techs in a mod recently, and now I know, thanks! Does anyone know if there are any problems with giving improvements negative production?

 

[Zeekater]

ahaha, I was wondering just how the arrows worked after messing around with some techs in a mod recently, and now I know, thanks! Does anyone know if there are any problems with giving improvements negative production?

Before putting it in your mod or anything, I'd test it with a small test scenario if I were you. This could potentially freeze the game up.

 

[tjedge1]

Would limits count here? I just discovered that the maximum number of improvements and wonders is around 250. Haven't ran into any others. Except that resource bug which was mentioned already.

 

[WildWeazel]

Before putting it in your mod or anything, I'd test it with a small test scenario if I were you. This could potentially freeze the game up.

Which reminds me:
ALWAYS TEST EVERYTHING!!!!!
I keep a biq called "tester", just a random 30x30 map with a few civs on it and I alter 1 rule and test it if I'm not sure what it will do. It's much easier to do this and play with it than to incorporate an untested idea into a mod and have to figure out what you did wrong when the game crashes.

 

[Dom Pedro II]

Okay... in short... all of the unit features (minus A/D of course) work for Armies... so you can add HP, you can even make them able to Bombard... They can also carry only foot units, be wheeled, etc.

I also discovered that you can give Citizens negative values and that works. The game will apparently not crash. I haven't tried improvements yet, but from what I hear, they DO crash.

 

[Zeekater]

Here is some really good advice when editing stuff in a scenario:

DO NOT DELETE IMPROVEMENTS/WONDERS FROM THE LIST!!!!!!!!

If you do, and you have cities already placed with improvements/wonders, deleting one will cause them all to move one up.

 

[Colonel Kraken]

When adding resources to terrain, determine whether or not you would still want that resource on the base terrain. For example, Fish in Marsh looks mighty funny when the swamp is cleared and the fish are 'swimming' in the grassland.

It's merely a matter of taste, but I like to at least have some logical explanation as to why a resource remains even though the terrain it was in is gone. For example, Fruit in the Jungle looks fine when you clear and irrigate it (You've planted farms of fruit trees) and/or plant forest.

Just a stupid, simple "tip" to help keep this great thread on the first page.

 

[Bungus]

1. When you add a lot of resources, there is some sort of bug that makes resources repeat after number 31 or something like that. Details?

Could someone explain this further? I use alot of invisible resources and time delayed resources. It hasn't seemed to have any averse effects yet.

Oh, and uh, if you change the Production/food/commerce levels of a terrain type it shows the old values if you have the "display terrian's resource value" option. hope that made sense.

 

[Zeekater]

If you get an error like this:

Not found:
Scenario/Text/PediaIcons/ANIMNAME_
the game will now exit

it most likely means that you have an improvement which is set to spawn units, but is set to 'none'.