Plans

[woodelf]

Here are what I plan on working on first and also what I plan on leaving as is. Please feel free to add, subtract, or argue any point. Neither of these lists are in any particular order of importance or attempted completion. I'll also add in stuff I hope Geo is working on!

To do

• Remove double building entries
• Remove TXT_KEY errors
• Fix Strategy and Pedia entries
• Redo civics
• Add in new unit and building graphics
• Redo citysets (<-----Geo!!!)
• Add real leaderheads (Thanks frenchman!)
• Remove barbs for now
• Look into adding popups and backstory

To Keep (for now)

• All python (until I can test out the mod and remove unneeded code)
• Tech tree (until feedback dictates changes)
• The Corporation Civs
• All units and buildings entries. More to come I hope
• Terrain and Resource art
• All buttons

 

[woodelf]

I must say that the TXT_KEY entries are a mess. Pedia, strategy too.

Lots of polish neeed...

 

[joelwest]

Here are what I plan on working on first and also what I plan on leaving as is.

since you agree in your reply to this post, our working to-do list is in the spoiler below.

this working to-do list prioritizes the development team activities based upon releasing first a bandaid patch of version 0.23a (0.23b), then a major revisions 2.0 & 3.0 as outlined below

===========================

Spoiler :

To do list to create a bandaid patch version 0.23b that makes version 0.23a more playable and hence rekindle interest in this mod by the rest of the Civ 4 community -

After the bullet is a list of who is currently working on this item.

• remove double building entries (DONE)
• remove TXT_KEY errors (DONE)
• fix Strategy and Pedia entries (DONE)
• add static leaderhead graphics (XML update, frenchman)
• make Moon map available if player uses "Play Now" to launch the mod (joelwest)
• eliminate the possibility of cities being created on one tile islands in a dust sea (pending the introduction of amphibious units in a later mod revision) (first need to find out if this is python or XML update)
• keep goody huts and minor civs but give these Alien names rather than barb names (pending a decision on how Aliens will appear in the revised post 0.23a mod) (first need to find out if this is python or XML update)
• make naval units (skirmishers renamed as Golf Buggies, Lunar Rovers, etc.; current Lunar Rover renamed Lunar Explorer since it uses the vanilla Civ 4 Conquistador) function as intended on dust seas that do NOT have so many land tiles that the dust ocean is navigable by all naval units (this will playtest player reaction to naval units on a Moon map -> naval units currently only work on a Terran map) (current Moon map already generates large maria tile dust seas, need to find out what will enable naval units on these seas)
• release version SotM 0.23b

To do list to move beyond version 0.23a to a more refined mod version 2.0 (presumably why this creation forum was created) -

• decide on what the major game eras will be; the current proposal is DW->IE->AE (Disaster World->Isolation Event->Alien Event) - these three eras are to replace the current three eras of Food Scarce World->IE->standard victory conditions (with a much easier spaceship completion victory)
• flesh out tech tree based upon the above (XML update)
• add in new unit and building graphics based upon the revised tech tree (XML update)
• replace static leaderheads with animated leaderheads (XML update)
• revise Moon map script to reflect new tech tree and new resources (python update)
• add popup to the start of the game that explains the eras and victory conditions plus any backstory that will go with this (first need to find out if this is python or XML update)
• add other popups and backstory as necessary

[*]redo cityset graphics (XML update, Geo)
[*]
[*]release version SotM 2.0

To do list to move beyond version 2.0 to version 3.0

• redo civics & charters based upon version 2.0 playtesting
• investigate a way to convert all Terran maps into Moon maps
• add religion to the mod (current suggestion is to have this tied in some way to Aliens)

 

[woodelf]

That makes some sense joel.

For the bandaid 0.23A: The top three are done and we have two LHs as well.

The other stuff will require a bit of help or learning.

 

[woodelf]

By the beginning of next week I'd like to upload a 0.23B with the changes I've made so far. That way the three of us (or anyone else who wants to) can test the minor cosmetic changes made and we can go from there.

I still want to remove artillery, the turrets, attrition, and the double building python stuff.

 

[GeoModder]

I still want to remove artillery, the turrets, attrition, and the double building python stuff.

I attempted to figure out the python files for artillery and turrets. May take some study before I feel comfortable stating this and that must be removed. Haven't seen attrition or double building python files at first glance. Didn't even know the double buildings were python based.

 

[woodelf]

I'm assuming dbl buildings are based in python because when I removed them from XML I received Python Exception errors about onBuildingBuilt. Lots to learn.

 

[joelwest]

That makes some sense joel.

For the bandaid 0.23A: The top three are done and we have two LHs as well.

The other stuff will require a bit of help or learning.

I plan on going to the map forum in Civ 4 and try to enroll some modding help or at least read the tutorials on mapmaking to see if my plan is feasible.

 

[woodelf]

My current plan is to cripple , add in some new LHs, and also add in some better unit art. I will then upload a version (0.23B) so we're all on the same page.

Any objections, thoughts?

 

[GeoModder]

This revised techtree I'm busy with, is it meant for a BtS version or for a Vanilla version? Or both?

Sofar: 25 techs, 14 base facilities, 2 Nat. Projects and 9 terrain improvements.
Didn't include existing Wonders sofar (Fungus Amongus, Lunar Point,...) in this list.

And I'm bordering the 3th era already.

 

[woodelf]

How about you focus on a BtS tree? Sound good?

 

[GeoModder]

Make my day. Planning 3 months ahead eh?
So I will work on it in the assumption the basic concepts are more or less from scratch, but will include quite a number of add-ons of current SotM version.

Perhaps start a new planning thread?

 

[woodelf]

Planning thread for the next version or this polish one?

Do you want me to ask TF for a private forum for the BtS version?

 

[GeoModder]

Nah, no need for another private forum.
I meant a planning thread for the BtS version.

 

[woodelf]

I'll let you start that thread Geo.

Events will be cool as well as your new tech tree.

 

[woodelf]

See the problems thread for happy news.

I'll be uploading a playtesting version tomorrow hopefully after I clean up the unit art.

 

[woodelf]

Do you guys want a new version up soon that has Religions and Civics updates as well as no barbs?

I wasn't sure if anyone wanted to mess with XML anytime soon and I really don't want any version conflicts since I've edited a ton of files since 0.23B.

Let me know because this version isn't exactly balanced well, but it has improvements. It could be simply internal as well.

 

[GeoModder]

Well, I still have to adjust (again) the stuff for Terrain -and Resource files.
As long as you didn't tinkered with those two, there's no conflict of significance.

Btw, general question: since we need one type of terrain to have food output, do you have any preferences on which one? Personally, I would say the polar terrain. It makes IMO the most sense since its supposed to hold some water...
In other news, I think I found the parameters which determine how big the maps are in the moonmap python file.

 

[woodelf]

Well, I still have to adjust (again) the stuff for Terrain -and Resource files.
As long as you didn't tinkered with those two, there's no conflict of significance.

Btw, general question: since we need one type of terrain to have food output, do you have any preferences on which one? Personally, I would say the polar terrain. It makes IMO the most sense since its supposed to hold some water...
In other news, I think I found the parameters which determine how big the maps are in the moonmap python file.

I haven't tinkered with those Geo. Polar terrain seems the most logical choice.

Good work on the moonmap digging!

 

[GeoModder]

Yeah, well, the next step is comparing those parameters with the "normal" ones from Firaxis' mapscripts as to give me an idea what the result will be if I make them smaller.
I might even be able to switch dustseas/lakes to hills. (but I think that would need a whole lot of adjustions in xml files too)