Need Creator

[MAGBaxter]

I have recently asked a user that i knew was good at modding but he said he didnt have the time, i have absolutley no clue of where to begin for modding and i dont understand it but for those with the skills and 5 10 minutes of their time i was hoping to have a small mod made for my two maps called Atlas & Atlas AD.

Im going to give you a scenario to explain how i would like my mod to work.

Spoiler :

The year is 4000 BC i have just started a game and the games date goes at a rate of 1 Hour a turn ( or as slow as possible ), many turns later the year is still 4000 BC because it is going at an hourly pace and i have just completed the last tech for the ancient era, the introduction to the classical era pops up i close it and i notice how the year has changed to 350 BC, and the same thing happens for the Medieval era ( 1066 AD ), and the Rennaisance era( 1508 AD ), Industrial era ( 1880 AD ), Modern era ( 1960 AD) and the Future Era ( 2012 AD ).

I hope i you understand what im saying and im confident that it will work as nobody takes over 365 turns to enter a new era. i hope you can make it as i do not understand how to make mods and im sure it wont take long.

If their is a good samaritan out their willing to help me make my map become perfect for players like me who are not bothered if they win ect but those who like to live their favourite civs how they want in a beleviable way, i think it would have to be specifically for my map as they are scenarios.

 

[MAGBaxter]

I have seen people helping others with small mods, 35 views ?

 

[Redox]

I wouldn't mind to help, I'm just not sure how exactly at the moment.

The "Game" table in lua has some methods to retrieve the current turn and year number. There are no methods to set it though. There is an XML file in XML/GameInfo/Civ5GameSpeeds.xml, in which you can set the year increments. If you set them really low, the date probably won't be changing on the screen (or changing by very little). The problem is to set it to a new value once you reach a new era. I can't imagine a way to do it in XML and I don't know a way to do it in Lua.

So, the last possible solution is to mod the interface, to make it show whatever date you want instead of the "correct" date. The problem here is that all of your saves will have a wrong date. If that doesn't bother you I'll take a look at how to change the interface.

 

[MAGBaxter]

I wouldn't mind to help, I'm just not sure how exactly at the moment.

The "Game" table in lua has some methods to retrieve the current turn and year number. There are no methods to set it though. There is an XML file in XML/GameInfo/Civ5GameSpeeds.xml, in which you can set the year increments. If you set them really low, the date probably won't be changing on the screen (or changing by very little). The problem is to set it to a new value once you reach a new era. I can't imagine a way to do it in XML and I don't know a way to do it in Lua.

So, the last possible solution is to mod the interface, to make it show whatever date you want instead of the "correct" date. The problem here is that all of your saves will have a wrong date. If that doesn't bother you I'll take a look at how to change the interface.

well thankyou for helping and im honestly not bothered if my saves are effected, would it be possible to coinseide with just my scenario/map, i only ever play the Map/Scenario i created so i just dont like it when i lose the immersion.

Q1. When you say all my saves will have a wrong date, do you mean if i turned the mod off and went to load a different game, it would have a wrong date ?

Q2. Would it be possible to make it work with info addict as that is the interface ?

Q3. Can it be a seperate mod but be made so it coinsides with my Atlas and Atlas AD scenarios, because one starts in 2500 BC and the other in 600 AD, maybe to versions ?

and i really appreciate the help i want to make the best TSL Earth their is !

 

[Redox]

Basically, what I propose to do is to keep the date as it is. But change the top panel appearance (where the date is shown during gameplay) so that it shows the artificial ("wrong") date, which is 4000BC throughout Ancient Era etc. So, neither game nor any mods (including Info Addict) will notice any difference. The game uses date as part of savefile names, and actually might display it in some notifications and maybe other places? I don't pay attention usually.

So, Q1: no, Q2: yes. It won't work with other mods which modify top panel though.

Q3. Ok, so tell me what exactly years do you want for each era in each scenario?

 

[MAGBaxter]

Basically, what I propose to do is to keep the date as it is. But change the top panel appearance (where the date is shown during gameplay) so that it shows the artificial ("wrong") date, which is 4000BC throughout Ancient Era etc. So, neither game nor any mods (including Info Addict) will notice any difference. The game uses date as part of savefile names, and actually might display it in some notifications and maybe other places? I don't pay attention usually.

So, Q1: no, Q2: yes. It won't work with other mods which modify top panel though.

Q3. Ok, so tell me what exactly years do you want for each era in each scenario?

yes that sounds perfect thankyou, so for Atlas call it something like " Atlas Time Scale " and it starts in the year 2000 BC then when the era changes it will go to 332 BC for the classical era, then it will go to 1095 AD for the medieval era, then it will change to 1501 AD for the rennissance era, then 1800 AD for the Industrial era, then 2000 for the Modern Era then 2012 for the future.

And basically the same for Atlas AD name it " Atlas AD time scale " but when the game starts make it so the year starts in 1095 AD and then continue with the same dates in Atlas. out of curiosity how long do you think it will take to make ?

 

[Redox]

Done, here you go . I created two versions of the mod, zipped together. Let me know how it works.

 

[MAGBaxter]

Done, here you go . I created two versions of the mod, zipped together. Let me know how it works.

Thankyou so much Redox ! it works but slight problem, i know im becoming a nuisance but Atlas timeline 1 & Atlas timeline 2 both start in 332 BC, do you mind changing it so Atlas Timeline 1 starts in 2134 BC then 331 BC then 1211 AD then 1776 AD then 1861 AD then 1969 AD then 2012 AD. (i know i changed it from my first date list)

And the same dates for Atlas Timeline 2 but have it start in 1211 AD, and can you change the description so its clear that Atlas Timeline 1 is forAtlas Scenario & Atlas Timeline 2 is for Atlas AD Scenario. After they are adjusted it will be perfect ! thankyou so much for helping by the way my TSL Earth is now perfect with this Mod

This might be a bit much to ask but i am going to be making another scenario which includes America in Atlas but its alot shorter date, so it starts in 1776 AD then 1861 then 1969 AD then 2012 AD, thats if you want to though because it feels like im asking alot.

 

[Redox]

Every developer knows that the client will change required program specifications once developer has hard-coded previous specifications in . So no worries, I expected that you'll need different dates and made it really easy for you to change them if you want.

You can easily do it yourself, let me know if you have any problem:

1. Open the mod folder. There will be 2 lua files inside: TopPanel.lua and NewTurn.lua.
2. Open both of them in any editor like Notepad.
3. On top of each one two tables are defined:

local g_eraYear1 = {-2000, -332, 1095, 1501, 1800, 2000, 2012};
local g_eraYear2 = {-1095, -332, 1095, 1501, 1800, 2000, 2012};

4. These are dates from Ancient until Future era, a total of 7 eras. Simply change the dates as you wish . For Atlas 1 mod only g_eraYear1 is relevant, the other one you can even delete. For Atlas 2 only g_eraYear2 is relevant.

You say it starts in 332 BC for you, are you starting in Classical era?

As for your third mod, you can create a copy of Atlas1 mod (call it Atlas 3), and change the dates in the same way. For mod it doesn't matter what era you are starting in.

 

[MAGBaxter]

Ok... i just tried to open Mod Buddy and it doesnt seem to want to load, just comes up with cannot find some folders then just code, i havnt tried it since i gave up like two months ago... if you do it i will give you no hassle after and i will give you a free cookie... i beg for mercy with those with greater knowledge than i, i cant find notepad and when it opens in acrobat it says it cant recognize it and closes it down ?

and no i was starting in the medieval era for my scenario.

 

[Redox]

Don't worry, I'll do it for you if it's not working, just give it one more try :

get Notepad++ here http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/v5.9.3.html

install it and use for step 2. You don't really need ModBuddy.

I'll still demand half-cookie though

 

[MAGBaxter]

ok i managed to get on it...
i see the dates but i have no idea what the hell to change as their are two sets of dates one starting in 1095 and same mod but starting in -2000 i suck at this.

can you do it...if not then...:suicide: jk but and yes i hve just discovered the amazing range of smilies !

and you can have 2 cookies if you do it...

 

[Redox]

Ok, if you insist. I attach the archive. This forum does have many smiles to choose from. Time well spent...

 

[MAGBaxter]

It works, and will be brilliant to play, i can now in the 6 months i have owned this game caomplete a game...seriously.
And you wouldnt mind uploading it to the download on this siteso i can link it so others can download it to play ? i will give you full credit for the mod in my thread.

And i promised you a cookie and here it is

Spoiler :

I never said an edible cookie !

 

[Redox]

That's the biggest cookie I've ever had nomnomnom. You've made me salivate all over my screen no kidding

Yeah, you can upload it if you wish. Maybe you should make it clear that it only changes the displayed date, not real date.

 

[Redox]

Fixed version for OP.