Player How To Documentation

Dancing Hoskuld

Dancing Hoskuld

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This is not about how to play Caveman2Cosmos but how to set it up the way you want it.
See Tips and Tricks for ideas on how to play Caveman2Cosmos.
See Favorite Settings for how others have set up their game to their liking.

See this post on how to set up C2C so that you don't loose your settings every time you use another mod. Thanks to God-Emperor​


Changing an option you set in Custom Game
Game options can now be changed while playing by using WorldBuilder. See here for documentation from the mod merged into C2C.

Note 1 screens and screen contents may not be exactly the same because the documentation is for a different version of the merged mod and C2C is not the same as vanilla BtS.

Note 2. Warning changing game options mid game can be dangerous some may even break the game.
Save before you make the changes.
Make another save just after making the options.
Do a recalc.
If things go awry try exiting, restarting civ and loading the save after changing the options.
Report problems on the bug thread. It may be that some options just can't be changed mid game.​

Here - needs a bit of work to identify all the options.

Another example here
​

Setting C2C the way you like it.

There are a number of ways you can set up C2C the way you like it.
  • In game options.
  • Custom Game
  • Global define variables.
  • Modules

In game options are accessed via the BUG Options screen using Ctr-Alt-O. Saving these (twice) will make your choices the default next time. Unless you play another mod between. BUG stands for Basic Unaltered Gameplay and is one of the mods that form the foundation that C2C is built on. It concentrates on making the user interface easier to use and allows us to use modular python code.

Custom Game options are chosen when you start a custom game. Defaults are used if you Play Now. After you set these options they become the defaults for the next "Play Now" game. Unless you play another mod between.

Global define variables are a sign that the team has not figured out how to make more Custom Game or BUG options. Or they don't feel it warranted. These are found in two or more XML files in the Assets/XML file. They can be edited using a text editor like Note Pad to set the values the way you like.

Modules are a way of putting together optional content including stuff that may be being tried out this version. Again there are files that can be edited to turn them on and off.
​


The SVN - What is it?

The SVN (Source versioning system) is used to control the elements of Caveman2Cosmos. This is needed because there are so many people working on various parts of it at the same time. This means that it is changing often (see C2C: SVN discussion) and may be "broken", which is why it s called a beta.

Its main use is for the modders to keep each other up to date with their work.

If you don't mind the fact that it may be broken at times using the SVN will give you the latest C2C with all the additions and fixes since the last release.
​
Helping improve Caveman2Cosmos

There are three ways you can help improve Caveman2Cosmos
  • report all bugs even minor ones
  • help the modders debug your problems
  • start modding C2C with us
  • add translations for your language See here.

Helping the modders debug

Simple rules for bug reporting (and some self diagnosis if you have time, which will increase its chances of being looked at ;)):

  1. Turn logging on.
  2. Check if the bug is reproducible. In general, if you're playing with testing at least somewhat in mind, it's best to set autosave to every turn, so that you can easily go back and replay a turn to check bug reproducibility
  3. If the bug involves a crash and is not reproducible (or ideally even if it is) post the minidump
  4. For ANY reproducible bug post a save game with a description of the problem and how to reproduce it from the saved position. Make sure to be as precise as possible about where to look (city names are fine, map locs are even better if you know how to find them out)
  5. For crashes that occur on end-turn (fairly quickly after you end the turn) there is a fair likelihood it's an issue with something you just built. It saves a lot of time if you can eliminate this possibility, or pin it down. The way to do this is to try setting all your cities to something like 'research' so that nothing gets produced and see if that prevents the end-turn crash. If it doesn't you've eliminated this possibility. If it does, work out which city by a process of elimination, settings some to research until you can narrow in.
  6. If you see the AI doing something you regard as obviously stupid (or obviously sub-optimal) consider that to be a bug. Previous rules apply.

Multi player stuff to be added
Helping to mod Caveman2Cosmos
​
 
Logs are useful in finding errors. they can be found near your save files usually in a folder like My Documents/My Games/Beyond the Sword/Logs.

The logs are turned on and off in your CivilizationIV.ini file and the amount of detail written to these logs can be set via the in game BUG Optons screens.

The CivilizationIV.ini file is a text file that can be edited in any text editor such as Note Pad.

For the minimum useful logs edit that file and search for LoggingEnabled . Set the values like below. If you don't have these settings in your ini then you can add them at the end.

Code: 
; Enable the logging system
LoggingEnabled = 1

; Enable synchronization logging
SynchLog = 0

; Overwrite old network and message logs
OverwriteLogs = 1

; Enable rand event logging
RandLog = 1

; Enable message logging
MessageLog = 1

Log Files and what they contain

. PyrhonErr.log contains error messages from python. If this file is empty then it is good. ;)

. PythonErr2.log contains trace print information generated while the game is running. This file can get very large depending on your BUG Options. It is mostly useful to programmers when they are testing.​
 
Module - how to turn them on and off to get the components you want in the game.

Different to options.

Requires editing of the MLF file(s) before the game, removed features will not appear in the pedia.

What can you remove?
  • Some religions - Andean, Asatru, Bahai, Druid, Jainism, Mesopotamian, Mormon, Ngai, Scientology, Shaman, Sikh, Tengri, Voodo and Yoruba can each be removed. Turning them off may turn off other things for example a leader that has one of these as their favorite religion.
  • Alternate Time line stuff including sub components.
  • Some other module sets. EG almost anything defined in the DancingHoskuld folder.
 
Variables that control how various game options are used. These appear in the Assets/XML folder, file A_New_Dawn_GlobalDefines.xml. This file can be edited using any text editor like Note Pad.

Neanderthal Spawn Rate
  • NEANDERTHAL_SPAWN_MODIFIER
  • Used to define how often the barbarian Neanderthal units spawn.
    100 = normal,
    0 = turn off,
    200 = twice as often as normal
    Code: 
    	<Define>
		<DefineName>NEANDERTHAL_SPAWN_MODIFIER</DefineName>
		<iDefineIntVal>[B]100[/B]</iDefineIntVal>
	</Define>
    Change the number in bold to what you want.
Animal Spawn rate
  • ANIMAL_SPAWN_MODIFIER
  • Similar to Neanderthal spawn modified in every way but for wild animal units.

Graphics levels
  • What shows up in the city on the main screen SHOW_BUILDINGS_LEVEL
These change what city buildings are shown in game. It was introduced to reduce CTD's. Some machines just can't cope and some buildings may have problems.
Code: 
	<Define>
		<!--
 Use the following to determine what building art
			is displayed on cities.  It is a bitmask of flags which may be
			added together:
			1 = Wonders 
			2 = city defences
			128 = other
			We default to Wonders and city defenses (1+2 = 3) 
		-->
		<DefineName>SHOW_BUILDINGS_LEVEL</DefineName>
		<iDefineIntVal>3</iDefineIntVal>
	</Define>
A value of
0 (zero) means show nothing
1 means wonders only
2 means city defenses only
4 means wonders and city defenses
128 means buildings other than city defenses and wonders
129 means all buildings except city defenses
129 means all buildings except wonders
131 means everything.
​

New Food wastage here
​
 
The way things mostly work in C2C is that you find a bit of it you want to improve and go for it. ;)

Management

The way we manage stuff is that for the first few changes you have a "mentor" that tests your stuff and puts it on our SVN. After that we suggest you get connected to the SVN to add your stuff yourself. The SVN is the beta where we all check each others stuff out, although a number of people now use it as if it is the final. Once a month or two StrategyOnly will put out a new version.

Most conversation about changes occurs on the forums although we may ask each other via PM sometimes.
 
Dancing Hoskuld said:
Helping the modders debug
Click to expand...

@DH - please edit into the top post then this can be deleted:

Simple rules for bug reporting (and some self diagnosis if you have time, which will increase its chances of being looked at ;)):

  1. Check if the bug is reproducible. In general, if you're playing with testing at least somewhat in mind, it's best to set autosave to every turn, so that you can easily go back and replay a turn to check bug reproducibility
  2. If the bug involves a crash and is not reproducible (or ideally even if it is) post the minidump
  3. For ANY reproducible bug post a save game with a description of the problem and how to reproduce it from the saved position. Make sure to be as precise as possible about where to look (city names are fine, map locs are even better if you know how to find them out)
  4. For crashes that occur on end-turn (fairly quickly after you end the turn) there is a fair likelihood it's an issue with something you just built. It saves a lot of time if you can eliminate this possibility, or pin it down. The way to do this is to try setting all your cities to something like 'research' so that nothing gets produced and see if that prevents the end-turn crash. If it doesn't you've eliminated this possibility. If it does, work out which city by a process of elimination, settings some to research until you can narrow in.
  5. If you see the AI doing something you regard as obviously stupid (or obviously sub-optimal) consider that to be a bug. Previous rules apply.
 
BlueTemplar said:
How to find them out?
Click to expand...

You have to run with Chipotle enabled, so you need the self discipline not to abuse it for other purposes! Anyway, with chipotle enabled:
Code: 
CheatCode = chipotle
in your CivilizationIV.ini file

Now holding down shift, ctrl, or alt while mouse hovering over a tile gives loads of debugging information. One thing it gives (with shift I think) is the tile's coordinates.

The reason you need some self-discipline is that it will also tell you things like what missions AI units are on, as well as enabling lots of other keystrokes for things like revealing all tiles and so on.
 
BlueTemplar said:
How to find them out?
Click to expand...

If its easier, ( less temptation) open worldbuilder and give the location a custom name, save and exit, open the worldbuilder with notepad, and search the file for the custom name you used, and it will give you the x and y location.
 
how do you pick the option so you can see all the buildings for the SVN of c2c

Also how do you add in the extra leaderheads and movies
 
also where do you put the exxtra civ animations and the extra long movies after youve downloaded them and will they work with the svn
 
GiuseppeIII said:
also where do you put the exxtra civ animations and the extra long movies after youve downloaded them and will they work with the svn
Click to expand...

They have the same structure as the normal release. you should just copy the Assets folder in them over the assets file in your C2C replacing anything it asks.
 
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