Please help a newbie out!!!

[nk2333]

Hi. Been a long time civ fan, playing since civ 2. Just got civ 4 and BTS and this site has been very helpful, but I am still trying to find out how to simply edit some stuff.

I would like to be able to edit a custom civ (leaders, starting techs, etc) and also edit a custom map (starting points, resources).
I am also trying to figure out how to start a custom civ with a custom map but with no luck.


Please help a newbie out. I remember when the map editor for older civ games were so simple. I have downloaded a couple programs and xml editors, but they didn't seem to work (or it could be i wasn't using it properly)
I would greatly appreciate if someone could help me out or point out some editors that are simple to use. Thanks in advance.

 

[phungus420]

Browse through the Tutorial Forums, and check out any tutorial related to what you want to do. That's really the best advice I can give you. My personal reccomendation is to start with the Guide about adding new units to Civ4, but since you're more interested in Civilizations, you might want to start with a tutorial related to leaderheads or some such.

Once you sit down, follow the relevant tutorial, you will get familiar very quickly with the XML. It is very simple once you start messing with it, and fireaxis set the tags up with very obvious names. So it is actually pretty intuitive. You just need to roll up your sleaves and start working with it.

 

[nk2333]

thanks, but once i started to read all this stuff, it just seems too overwhelming and more like on an advanced level. i'll try, but i wish they'd make it more simple and straightforward

 

[phungus420]

They are simple and straighforward. Just pick a single tutorial, and follow it. If you start trying to do a couple at once, and you have no experience with XML, you're bound to get overloaded and confused. Stick to one, and do it first, then move onto something else. Like I said, my reccomendation is to go with the Guide for adding in a new unit, but if you're not really interested in that, you should probably check out a guide on how to add in new leaderhead.

 

[phungus420]

For reference this is the adding new units Tutorial. This is the tutorial I first learned on. I know it is very good, and after adding a new unit I was able to understand the basics of XML (and I had no prior experience), so it's why I recommend it.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=139721

 

[nk2333]

seems like a stuff a programmer would be good with, surely not on my level. there isn't a good program out there that will keep stuff simple? . all the tutorials out there just confuse me even more (or they refer to another tutorial) on top of that i am reading that there are different methods xml, wbs, sdk, which confuse me even more
i just want to edit an existing civ and map. doesn't civ 4 come with its own map editor like in previous editions?

 

[Flintlock1415]

XML is not even close to a high programming level. Its very simple to use, and if you preserver, you will know it like the back of your hand in no time. I barely knew about programming when I first started, and in a matter of weeks I became sufficient enough to mod.

 

[Senap]

seems like a stuff a programmer would be good with, surely not on my level. there isn't a good program out there that will keep stuff simple

Perhaps you need to know what XML is and how it can be used in general, not just as a Civ mod tool.

Try reading the first few chapters of this XML tutorial to understand what XML is about and then try to follow a basic "how to add units to your mod" tutorial.
http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_whatis.asp

Try opening an XML file (CIV4UnitInfos.xml in <Civ>\Beyond the Sword\Assets\XML\Units\CIV4UnitInfos.xml) with notepad. I am sure you will understand once you read up on how XML works (it's basically a database with values, it doesn't do anything) and after a good unit tutorial.

(Even though the w3schools site talks about knowing javascript, you can skip any javascript parts in the tutorial since you won't be developing for XML anyway)

on top of that i am reading that there are different methods xml, wbs, sdk, which confuse me even more

Ignore any other type of modding in my opinion. Just stick with XML at the beginning, then you can advance to Python if you can handle programming and finally SDK programming (which is relatively low-level C++ programming). If you just want to mess with some values, you're good to go once you learn XML.

 

[nk2333]

thanks for the help. i'll try it out.
I still haven't found out how use a modded civ with a custom map and custom game. can anyone help with that?

 

[mechaerik]

Yep, what do you need?

Welcome to the Forums nk2333 .

On a side note, perservere on the xml if you don't understand. What i did was play HISTORY IN THE MAKING, an awesome mod, and i eventually checked out the files. Within days, i had added 2 new civs, The Confederacy and Austria. it's very simple.


I would suggest getting Notepad++, a free editor. It's like regular notepad, but infinitely better.

 

[nk2333]

well, i found some things. i used a program to edit the LH xml file which was simple enough,

but i am really confused on how to use that custom civ with a custom made map. I tried editing the save file with notepad and tried a few other things but i keep getting errors, crashes. it seems like i can either load a custom map or play a mod/custom civ, not both.

 

[Flintlock1415]

You will have to add the Civ into the the map by editing the Worldbuilder Save file.

 

[nk2333]

You will have to add the Civ into the the map by editing the Worldbuilder Save file.

that's what i did. I just took examples from other files to see how it was coded. please tell me if i'm doing something wrong
i edited the mod's ini file to include the wbs in the "force scenerio" line
i edited the wbs file so that all 18 civs have
BeginPlayer
LeaderType=NONE
CivType=NONE
Team=0
EndPlayer
for all 18 civs (changing the team line of course)
loaded the mod
and it gave me an error message.

what else should i be doing?

 

[Flintlock1415]

Thats how an empty Civ slot should look; each WBS file has slots for 18 civs (0-17) and ones that look like that are not on the map. Basically what you did is delete every civ off of the map, hence the error.
It needs to go

BeginPlayer
Team=0
LeaderType=LEADER_YOURLEADER (e.g. LEADER_WASHINGTON)
LeaderName=Your leader's name that you give him (e.g. nk2333)
CivDesc=The name of your Civ (e.g. American Empire)
CivShortDesc=The short name (e.g. America)
CivAdjective=The adjective (e.g. American)
FlagDecal=Art/Interface/TeamColor/YOUR_FLAG.dds (e.g. FlagDecal_Star.dds)
WhiteFlag=0 (or 1 if a non-decal flag with over 2 colors)
CivType=CIVILIZATION_YOURCIV (e.g. CIVILIZATION_AMERICA)
Color=PLAYERCOLOR_YOURTEAMCOLOR (e.g. PLAYERCOLOR_BLUE)
ArtStyle=ARTSTYLE_YOURARTSTYLE (e.g. ARTSTYLE_EUROPEAN)
PlayableCiv=1 (makes the player allow to choose this civ on startup)
MinorNationStatus=0 (makes civ have no diplomacy)
StartingGold=10 (how much gold you start with)
StartingX=13, StartingY=28 (starting plot if no cities are already placed)
Handicap=HANDICAP_PLAYERLEVEL (e.g. HANDICAP_NOBLE)
EndPlayer

 

[i8thefat1]

how do you put downloaded units into the game?

 

[Agent327]

Browse through the Tutorial Forums, and check out any tutorial related to what you want to do. That's really the best advice I can give you. My personal reccomendation is to start with the Guide about adding new units to Civ4

What he said.