Possible collaborative project: Truly Heroic Mod

[FexFX]

So, what do you do? Just replace the ArtDefineTag with NONE? Will the game simply not draw the building on the map, or will it leave a blank space in the city?

Max

Actually I tried that and it worked, but the result was an ugly Red sphere placeholder. There is a None tag in the system that "works, but its horrid.
Instead I simply used this:

<BuildingArtInfo>
<Type>ART_DEF_BUILDING_RITUALS</Type>
<bAnimated>0</bAnimated>
<fScale>1.0</fScale>
<fInterfaceScale>0</fInterfaceScale>
<NIF>Art/Structures/Buildings/Obelisk/Obelisk.nif</NIF>
<KFM/>
< Button >Art/Interface/Buttons/Buildings/rituals.dds</ Button >
</BuildingArtInfo>


The result is a building of 0 Scale so it becomes effectively non-existant.
in truth you could use anything as the .nif file, but I chose obelisk because the building I was making was closest to an obelisk in its origin and function. But it would look nothing like an obelisk, so I neded to make it invisible.

The result works perfectly.

And in the BuildingInfo itself is where you place the building relative to the city...I simply left it in the same location as the obelisk. The game has no problem with intersecting models...and since the Ritual is a 0 size...it really is no problem visually.

 

[Finarfin]

What is the significance of the <KFM/> tag?

 

[Mylon]

I've added a ton of buildings in my mod and so far haven't noticed any problems. None of the buildings have been added to the CityLSystem file or whatever it is, so they don't show up. Also, they just use preexisting ArtDef tags for the purpose of the building icon.

 

[Son of Moose]

Finarfin and Seven05

Thank you for your most helpful replies. I might try using the Civscale.exe and see what it does.


FexFX

The scaling thing I am flatly against...this is a pure taste thing and as has been pointed out there are numerous ways for players to do this themselves to their own exacting tastes. I know some out there want things LARGER so that they are more visible in a top down view, and others want things smaller so the units seem more reasonable next to the cities...personally I am happy with things as they are for not and dont give a smeg about scaling.

Yes .... this is an extremely valid point. This issue is indeed not directly relevant to FexFX's LITTLE mod (?) .... although it just might be interesting to see whether its ultra-epic gameplay would be enhanced (or otherwise) by a different scaling.

The layout thing is not even on my radar at this point, I am planning that at least in first release there will be no "building" models. They are not 100% necessary, just a nifty thing. They will function the same just no image on the map. Eventually this would be a "nice touch", but its far from required.

That can constitute PHASE II of the project .... once we have come close to adding (and successfully integrating) all the new buildings, technologies, resources and improvements that we think could enhance Vanilla Civ 4.

At this point I am about ready to buckle down and start putting this bad mutha together!

THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK!!

Plus I am in the middle of the 1800s in my full length FX-Huge FX-Grand game and I am enjoying the heck out of it!

Just imagine how much you will eventually enjoy playing this version of the game!!

 

[Son of Moose]

FexFX

As the new "father" of this mod, it is indeed right that it is named after you (in recognition of all your hard work).

How about the following expanded title (alluded to above):

FexFX's LITTLE mod .... A whole lot more Civilization

The first part is a minor spoof of "Sid Meier's Civilization" while the latter part (which possibly needs some more work ) includes the "more" from "FX More". I was just becoming attached to the somewhat ironic LITTLE title (which was not even of my own choosing).

However, I am completely happy with whatever working title you may wish to choose ..... and it will be renamed!!

 

[Son of Moose]

To all our regular contributors and the stalkers

Seeing that FexFX is (hopefully) now going to make some major progress in the execution of this mod and that it will not initially require the time-consuming creation of new models for the buildings, perhaps it might be a good idea to make some more suggestions regarding any new structures that could be included in the game.

ANY IDEAS?

 

[FexFX]

Today I have been working on the Tech Chart.
I have began to sew in new units and techs, but then stopped to do a re-organization of it according to my proposed grid, and reorganized the techs according to grid location rather than the seemingly random order presented in the original file.

 

[FexFX]

Well that was a whole lotta work!
Got the entire tech chart re-organized so that the techs are in order by collumn and then row as they appear in the chart. I also changed their grid positions to match the new chart. That was a LOT of busywork.

Now, back to adding in new buildings, units and techs and changing existing techs and buildings and such.

 

[Son of Moose]

THANK YOU!!

 

[FexFX]

To give you an idea of what is involved for adding techs...Here are the files that need to be edited/created for just a tech:
CIV4TechInfos.xml (The Primary Data for the Tech itself)
CIV4GameText_Civilopedia_Techs.xml (Civilopedia Entry)
CIV4GameTextInfos.xml (Quote)
CIV4GameText_Strategy.xml (Strategic Information)
A Button .DDS file for the graphics.

And if you want to do a building its:
CIV4BuildingInfos.xml (The Primary Data for the Building itself)
CIV4GameTextInfos.xml (Text Tags)
CIV4BuildingClassInfos.xml (To Define The Building Class)
CIV4GameText_Civilopedia_Buildings.xml (Civilopedia Entry)
CIV4GameText_Strategy.xml (Strategic Information)
CIV4ArtDefines_Building.xml (To define graphic files associated with this building)
A Button .DDS file for the graphics.
A .NIF File if a 3d Model is desired.

I have yet to do a unit, but I have looked and the list is equally long...
This mean that if someone wants to help things will get a tad complicated...
The only solution I have come up with would be fomr one person to be a central organizer, and for others to contribute by writing a single txt file with the information for the new Building,( tech, unit, whatever) for each of those files in a single file. And then the central organizer would sew that new information into the individual files to add the new creation into the mod...

Oh and did I mention I am doing all this with just notepad?

 

[FexFX]

Duplicate Post

 

[FexFX]

Duplicate Post

 

[Finarfin]

Sounds like a good tool for editing XML to me!

 

[FexFX]

I like it just fine tho I think its word wrapping leaves something to be desired.

 

[Tomyris]

The gain is that you can actually spend more than a few dozen turns in any one era - "period gaming", I call it. So you can have several wars with neighboring powers using the same units before moving on (and up) to new units. And, as I mentioned before, every accomplishment is a major milestone.

This is just the mod I've been looking for! What's the estimated time of arrival?

 

[DickieBear]

Deleted by me.

 

[FexFX]

Uncertain on a delivery date, especially with this potentially show stopping bug I have just hit.

I am completely unsure why this is not working properly on my system!!!

I am attaching the current working model for this mod.

It includes a re-organized tech tree with all the techs bumped around to make room fo the new techs, three new techs already included, and three new buildings...
HOWEVER things are not working properly.

For some reason its refusing to recognize the prereqs for techs, and the Lines from tech to tech have gone completely insane just by moving the techs around. They are still horizontally oriented in order, theyrre are simple moved vertically a bit in most cases, and in most cases they have been bumped forward a collumn or two to make room for new techs.

The problem is not so much with the lines as it is with the prereqs!

Fishing should lead to Boat Building which leads to sailing...
I have done the XML correctly for this, I am certain of it.
However, Boat Building and Sailing both list no prereqs now!!

Carpentry should lead to Boat Building and The Wheel...but instead it shows Carpentry leading to Agriculture...

Its all a mess!

I have no idea why this would happen!

HELP!

 

[DickieBear]

Is it just not showing the correct prereqs, or is it not recognizing them at all?

 

[FexFX]

For some reason the attachment is not showing up!
Here let me attach it again.
Oh...Its too big...that's a problem...
Hmmm
I may have to split it into multiple parts

 

[FexFX]

Here is the file...just let them both unzip into the same folder.