prerequisites for tech discovering

[Jouda]

Before intorducing my big project/mod, I need to gather some information just to know what is possible and what is not. Firaxis stated that you can create a game loosely based on Civ which is something I have in mind but, as I learned from other threads, some features are hard-coded and can not be tweaked, i.e. 18 civs limit.

Well, I would like to know, whether it is possible to assign resource prerequisites to technologies. For example civs could not START INVENTING Iron working if they had no iron. They would have to obtain iron first. Or horses, if they wanted to know how to ride a horse.

Is it possible? Thanks in advance.

 

[The Great Apple]

Yes, I'm pretty sure you could do this in python. With the SDK you could assign an XML attribute to it, which might be a lot neater.

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

Actually, I had something similar to this in mind. Not so much a blanket ban, but something like the way Marble and Stone halves the time to build certain wonders and buildings.
Namely, if you have Stone or Marble, then you can research Masonry in half the normal time. Same with Iron, Gold, Silver and/or Copper for Metal Casting, Copper for Bronze Working and Iron for Iron Working.
I have checked python extensively, and have found nothing that actually allows this, which is another reason why I was hoping that the SDK would 'come to my rescue'!

Aussie_Lurker.

 

[Vishaing]

From what I understand the SDK is the hard code of the game so it can be changed, but you probably wouldn't need to do that for what you are describing.

I always wanted to have this happen with some things. FOr instance I always hated being able to develop all this cool nifty technology to build big bad ships, as a landlocked nation...

However one thing you would have to do is make the resources appear with different techs. For instance Iron, as you mentioned, would have to appear earlier as right now it Appears with Iron Working, but you would need Iron to research iron working.

Otherwise though it should be pretty simple to put an If/Then statement in Python and make it an XML call that returns a Boolean value.

For instance (in pseudo code):

function name ABC (tech A, resource B) {
IF (player has resource B)
{(Player can research tech A) return true;}
else {(player cannot research tech A) return false;}
}

This is sort of not really what it would look like in Java, and with a bit of modification it would also look pretty similar in C++, which is what the SDK uses.

You should also, if you go this route, put in a message box that will pop up saying "Our Scientists cannot learn how to work iron without iron to experiment on." so the player isn't just left wondering "why the **** can't I research my techs!"

Also, the 18 civ limit is being removed in the Warlords Expansion, or so I have heard, from reliable sources.

 

[Jouda]

Thanks guys for your comments. I am glad to see that I am not the only one who wants such change

I always wanted to have this happen with some things. For instance I always hated being able to develop all this cool nifty technology to build big bad ships, as a landlocked nation...

This, exactly, is one of the situations.

However one thing you would have to do is make the resources appear with different techs. For instance Iron, as you mentioned, would have to appear earlier as right now it Appears with Iron Working, but you would need Iron to research iron working.

Definitely. What I have in mind is that metals come with Mining. All metals would look the same and would be called "ore" or something like that. Ore itself would do nothing but would be required for Metal casting. After researching it, ore would "change" into copper, silver, gold and iron. With copper, Bronze working would be enabled and so would be Iron working (with iron of course).

You should also, if you go this route, put in a message box that will pop up saying "Our Scientists cannot learn how to work iron without iron to experiment on." so the player isn't just left wondering "why the **** can't I research my techs!"

Good point.

Also, the 18 civ limit is being removed in the Warlords Expansion, or so I have heard, from reliable sources.

And when's the expansion out?