Preview of an unofficial “Events” Expansion!

[Dom Pedro II]

So... can units just be damaged by the tile events like heat exhaustion and frost bite? Or are they just automatically killed?

 

[GRM7584]

This is all very good news, and if it could be merged in full or in part with revolutions it could potentially create an amazing game dynamic.
A few questions:
Will techs have an effect on event probability, or is it limited solely to buildings? For instance, when I was trying to come up with event ideas of my own (knowing that someone would eventually code something like this) I might have Earthquake effects reduced with a civil-engineering related tech rather than a building.

Can the destruction of buildings cause events? The destruction of a Hydro Plant would trigger the "flood" event, or the destruction of a Gas Plant would trigger a "fire" event, etc.

Can tech events create buildings? For example, discovering Electricity might create a "World's Fair" permanent wonder that shifts cities at random between civs that know its prerequisite technology, carrying its benefits with it.

Can Resource access cause or prevent events? For instance, having a granary might slightly reduce the chance of a famine, but having a granary *and* access to one of the grains would have a much higher reduction.

I'm sure I have more questions, but I'll leave at that for now.

 

[primem0ver]

So... can units just be damaged by the tile events like heat exhaustion and frost bite? Or are they just automatically killed?

That depends on the type of event. Currently, natural events can both wound and kill. Environmental events only kill. So heat exhaustion and frostbite will only kill but earthquakes and hurricanes can both wound and kill.

Will techs have an effect on event probability, or is it limited solely to buildings? {and other questions}

The following items can have an effect on event probability (depending on the type of event):

Bonuses (Resources), Technology, Improvements (per area), and Buildings.

I will check the XML again but generally what you are asking is true. (I may have forgot to put in XML for granary). As far as access to grains... remember that famine is basically caused by the inability to grow crops for one reason or another. So having access to these doesn't mean they will grow . But yes... certain resources have the benefit reducing risk for certain kinds of events. Fur, cotton, and sheep all help reduce risk of frostbite for example.

Can the destruction of buildings cause events? The destruction of a Hydro Plant would trigger the "flood" event, or the destruction of a Gas Plant would trigger a "fire" event, etc.

I didn't really think of this but it is a good idea. I will consider this one for the gold release (as apposed to the beta).

 

[Dom Pedro II]

So natural events and environmental events are different classes of events? And what, mechanically (rather than conceptually) is the difference between the two?

 

[primem0ver]

There are four seperate "components" in the event engine that each handle creating events a little differently. An event's "event class" defines which component is used in the event's creation.

Natural events do not target specific players. Instead, they target areas of the map and anyone near where the event occurs can be affected.

"Watch" events are conditional events that only have a chance of happening if a player (his cities or his units) meet certain conditions (such as being in a cold region or in the desert, or a cities health is too low). When they do, they are put on a "watch" list which keeps track of how long the unit has met the criteria and the longer they are on the list, the higher the chance that the event will occur.

Generic (or random) events are completely random. The engine randomly decides (based on odds, subtracting things that affect those odds) whether a player will experience the event, and if it does, it randomly picks a target (usually a city).

Lastly... "triggered" events are just that... events that are triggered by a unit or another event.

environmental events are handled by the "watch" engine (on which only cities that meet certain criteria can experience an event) and natural events are handled by the natural ("global") event engine.

I guess when I thought of "environmental" I was thinking of events that happen because of man's destruction of the environment and that is why I decided to make "environmental" events conditional.

If when you say "environmental" you mean "climate related", then these types of events are handled by the natural event component (such as a hurricane).

 

[troyDoogle7]

Prime... stop teasing us!!! Release it already!!!

Just kidding.. Release it when its done..

 

[primem0ver]

what?!?

I'm just answerin' your questions!

 

[primem0ver]

LOL... hey woodelf! I'm going as fast as I can (refering to comment in news post). A beta version of the events engine should be available by next weekend as a part of the Genetic Era Mod. If you want a vanilla install you may have to wait an extra week.

NOTE: Does anyone know the various languages that are available in CivIV? I would appreciate any help in translation that anyone can offer.

BTW... new update. I am going to try and add a new "great" unit but that will probably not appear until the "gold" release (as opposed to the "beta" release) because this will entail some detailed programming in other areas of the SDK because of some special "abilities" the great explorer will have.

New great unit: Great Explorer (like Columbus and Drake!). The Great Explorer will be available with the "Colonial Age" of the Events Engine. Preliminary draft of abilities:

• gives any group of ships they are with a +2 movement advantage
• any group that has a great explorer in it is immune to events that affect units (such as "frostbite" and "lost at sea").
• Gives any ship with a great explorer and a +2 first shot chance bonus.
• Increases rate at which ships in a group gain experience (or may just provide group experience every so often).

Any other ideas?

 

[woodelf]

I tried to light a fire. It worked!!!

A vanilla install or something that can easily be added to other mods will be ideal for most of us.

 

[primem0ver]

Hmmm.... there are around 8 new and 46 modified SDK files (so far)... not sure how "easy" it will be to merge.

However, I will try and make it as easy as possible. All modifications will be clearly marked. But to be truthful... it may be easier for those wanting to be "testers" to try the vanilla version and wait for the "gold" version before they add it to their own mod. Unless they want to make all those changes twice.

I WILL post the new code for those who want it for both versions.

 

[woodelf]

What about mods that have zero SDK changes?

 

[Dom Pedro II]

What about mods that have zero SDK changes?

Well, then it would be fairly easy, wouldn't it? They'd just use his dll file

 

[primem0ver]

If there is a mod without any SDK changes... they can get away with adding the events mod by doing the following:

Make necessary XML merges first. These MUST be in place because some of added AI types and similar things (not to mention the few new units, buildings, improvements, and techs).

Then... merge Python. There are a few necessary python changes in basic files in order for the unit interface to report event odds properly (there will also eventually be a few new screens).

Finally, make sure the new DLL is included. The DLL is an essential part of the mod.

Thanks alot woodelf for reminding me of this important group of mods. I almost forgot about them. I will make sure I add a section for them in the modders guide.

 

[Gunner]

New great unit: Great Explorer (like Columbus and Drake!). The Great Explorer will be available with the "Colonial Age" of the Events Engine. Preliminary draft of abilities:

• gives any group of ships they are with a +2 movement advantage
• any group that has a great explorer in it is immune to events that affect units (such as "frostbite" and "lost at sea").
• Gives any ship with a great explorer and a +2 first shot chance bonus.
• Increases rate at which ships in a group gain experience (or may just provide group experience every so often).

I'd just like to say this this is an absolutely amazing idea. A lot like the system from the Europa Universalis series.

 

[Dom Pedro II]

Great Explorers were something I've wanted to put in my mod for years, but it was also one of those things that was put way, way down on the to-do list.

One of the things is that I'm not sure what the explorer should be. Should they be just human units that can board ships and such and give them bonuses. Should they be ships themselves? That seems like a bad idea since I would include among great explorers Marco Polo, Lewis & Clark, John C. Fremont, Henry Morton Stanley, and even Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong were explorers even if they were not necessarily exploring lands that held the same kind of secrets and mysteries as those others. I think the term "Explorer" comes with a bit of ship bias. So a bonus to ship movement would, to me, not necessarily be appropriate although it could certainly be one benefit.

Of course, I'm not sure how you'd actually add in aviation and astronomical exploration with a Great Explorer except to maybe just give the ability for explorers later in the game to build Wonders that have something to do with these matters. But of course, Neil Armstrong didn't build the Apollo Program nor was he even the primary source of motivation for the massive funding from the government as one could argue a Christopher Columbus was when he sought support from various patrons for his voyages. Armstrong was just the guy they strapped into the seat. Not to downgrade his talents since they certainly couldn't just pick anybody for the job, but in terms of making the space program, he was merely one man in a much larger apparatus with much more powerful people giving it the moral and political support necessary to achieve it.

So I wouldn't have a Great Explorer responsible for just building some kind of space project, but it seems like something would be missing not to include the conquest of space amongst the achievements possible for the Great Explorer. I just don't know how exactly...

Aviation is a little bit easier... adding a Trans-Oceanic Flight wonder buildable after the discovery of Flight would be good. Among the efforts that were made, the pilot was not just the pilot but the motivating force behind the venture... so in that case, their being able to complete such a wonder WOULD, to me, make a lot of sense.

 

[woodelf]

Well, then it would be fairly easy, wouldn't it? They'd just use his dll file

Fairly easy, but idiot proof rarely ends up that way in my experience.

Thanks for spelling out the potential changes to be made primem0ver. And definitely don't forget about those of us who mod without messing with the SDK!

 

[primem0ver]

Of course, I'm not sure how you'd actually add in aviation and astronomical exploration with a Great Explorer except to maybe just give the ability for explorers later in the game to build Wonders that have something to do with these matters.

With events some things *might* be possible. I will give it some thought, but IMHO, the explorers of the sea stand out in history. So do some of the land explorers like louis and clark. One thing I could do is make sure that groups with explorers are immune to events both on land AND on sea. Another benefit that could come from explorers that would be at least somewhat worthwhile for land explorers and others is some sort of "trade" event where a major trade route is set up with another nation that benefits both (like Marco Polo...) more than the average trade route.

As far as space... I could make that event related and then it would only have to apply when the modern times come around.

I will think about it. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[GRM7584]

With events some things *might* be possible. I will give it some thought, but IMHO, the explorers of the sea stand out in history. So do some of the land explorers like louis and clark. One thing I could do is make sure that groups with explorers are immune to events both on land AND on sea. Another benefit that could come from explorers that would be at least somewhat worthwhile for land explorers and others is some sort of "trade" event where a major trade route is set up with another nation that benefits both (like Marco Polo...) more than the average trade route.

Perhaps explorers should optionally function like Great Generals, IE they are attached to a unit and unlock promotions that allow immunity to negative terrain event effects. I don't know if its possible, but for trade routes: Perhaps set it up such that you send the explorer to a foreign city and then perform a 'mission' which copies a random luxury from their trade network and adds it permanently into yours; if there are no luxuries, then the mission option is grayed out.
Alternatively, perhaps a mission in which the explorer creates a building or effect in a foreign city whereby any existing or future trade routes you have with that city provide much higher returns (x5, or something along those lines...its tricky to weigh the potential downfalls against the benefits, in this situation).

 

[primem0ver]

I was thinking along the lines of your last suggestion GRM... Thanks for the ideas though. I kind of like the luxury one except that I would like both sides of the "trade" to benefit even if the owners side benefits more.

 

[Dom Pedro II]

Too bad there isn't quantified resources (bonuses) in the game.. then you could have the Great Explorer get a big shipment of some resource... for example, they pick up 500 units of Spices in exchange for X amount of gold.