Quick Modding Questions Thread

[Leoreth]

Can you show where you defined the text key?

 

[Mattygerst]

Thank you for the reply ... I can't show where I defined the text key, bc I couldnt find the folder to define it. I did an exhaustive search -- hours -- and I don't know where the folder is. I mean, I searched the Assets folders and XML folders for both Civ IV, BTS, and my mod ... and I just don't see anywhere to define the text. What folder should the text be defined in? I'm wondering if the folders in a steam downloaded game are different from when you download it off the installation disk?

 

[Leoreth]

Assets/XML/Text, choose any file or make a new one.

 

[Mattygerst]

I mean, maybe I'm just remembering it incorrectly, but I swear that there was a source for where the text for the original "America" civ comes from ... for example; where should the following txt_key be found?

<Description>TXT_KEY_CIV_AMERICA_DESC</Description>
<ShortDescription>TXT_KEY_CIV_AMERICA_SHORT_DESC</ShortDescription>
<Adjective>TXT_KEY_CIV_AMERICA_ADJECTIVE</Adjective>

When I had the game installed 3 years ago by disk, I swear I was able to find where this was, and then I copied the original TXT_KEY was for AMERICA, and edited the copy to UNITED_STATES ... but now I can't find where the TXT_KEY in the CivilizationInfos folder is referencing that TXT_KEY from. Isn't there a specific folder that the game recognizes this from? If so, what is it? Bc I've spent hours looking for it : /

 

[Leoreth]

As I told you before, get a text editor capable of full text search and make use of it.

 

[Mattygerst]

I am using Notepad++ ... is that not sufficient?

 

[Mattygerst]

Found it:

MMod > Assets > XML > Text >Civ4GameTextInfo_Objects

Thank you, as always, for your help.

 

[Leoreth]

Does anyone know how CvPlot::getRiverID() works? I'm trying to determine if two plots border "the same" river, but it does not seem to behave as expected (plots bordering what is ostensibly the same river returning different river IDs). For my purposes, it would be fine to treat every branch of a river that ultimately flows into the sea somewhere as the same river.

 

[Mattygerst]

I am getting an XML error as I load BTS, however, when I then load a Mod afterwards, the XML error does not reoccur. I've checked the XML and I don't see the issue? I have attached screenshots to show what I am talking about. Would anyone be able to offer thoughts as to what is causing the error based upon review of the screenshots?

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

I am getting an XML error as I load BTS, however, when I then load a Mod afterwards, the XML error does not reoccur. I've checked the XML and I don't see the issue? I have attached screenshots to show what I am talking about. Would anyone be able to offer thoughts as to what is causing the error based upon review of the screenshots?

Might I suggest this utility to you. It was made for Caveman2Cosmos but it works for any mod since it checks your XML against the schema defined in the XML file.

 

[Mattygerst]

Might I suggest this utility to you. It was made for Caveman2Cosmos but it works for any mod since it checks your XML against the schema defined in the XML file.

Dancing Hoskuld ... Thank you very much for the help

 

[Mattygerst]

Random question ... does removing the various languages aside from the languages you personally use from the XML make any efficiency changes to the game (aside from loading the game start faster)?

 

[<Nexus>]

Random question ... does removing the various languages aside from the languages you personally use from the XML make any efficiency changes to the game (aside from loading the game start faster)?

Quite unlikely. Text has little stress on performance. Graphics on the other hand can make a difference. Remove unused graphics. The rest should be packed into FPK files.

 

[Mattygerst]

Quite unlikely. Text has little stress on performance. Graphics on the other hand can make a difference. Remove unused graphics. The rest should be packed into FPK files.

Zeta Nexus ... can you give me an example or a scenario of what would be an unused graphic?

 

[<Nexus>]

Well... Maybe I wasn't clear enough.
When you include a model - say a Dragon - into your mod but later you decide you don't want to use that Dragon model rather a... Griff.
If the Dragon is there in your Assets/Art folder (unpacked) than it is loaded at the start of the game wasting your CPU resources. If it is packed into an FPK than it is only loaded when needed - like you click on it in the Pedia.

 

[Cole98]

I'm trying to covert the V22 Osprey from Supreme Ruler into Civ 4, but I get a MAF when I try to load it. As far as I can tell the .nif should work but for some reason it isn't. It uses gunship animations.

 

[Mattygerst]

Hello all,

Recently I have been creating new civilizations to use in a new scenario I am building to be released to the community. Thus far I've created somewhere around 25 new civs and leaders using the instructions found here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/how-to-create-a-civilization.144425/

I have a question, though. The mod I'm building off uses Varietas Delectat for building and unit artstyles. However, the civilizations in the game also use custom flags for the civs, themselves.

Here is an example:

BTS:
<CivilizationArtInfo>
<Type>ART_DEF_CIVILIZATION_AMERICA</Type>
<Button>,Art/Interface/Buttons/Civilizations/America.dds,Art/Interface/Buttons/Civics_Civilizations_Religions_Atlas.dds,1,5</Button>
<Path>Art/Interface/TeamColor/FlagDECAL_Star.dds</Path>
<bWhiteFlag>0</bWhiteFlag>

MyMod:
<CivilizationArtInfo>
<Type>ART_DEF_CIVILIZATION_AMERICA</Type>
<Button>,Art/Interface/Buttons/Civilizations/America.dds,Art/Interface/Buttons/Civics_Civilizations_Religions_Atlas.dds,1,5</Button>
<Path>Art/Interface/TeamColor/FlagDECAL_America.dds</Path>
<bWhiteFlag>1</bWhiteFlag>
</CivilizationArtInfo>

It would be easy enough to make this change, as I've done for the leaderhead art and button art, already;however, the TeamColor folder is in a PAK file, which, for some reason I cannot Unpack using Pakfile. So, my question is ... do I have any options to use a different pathway specifically and only for the new civilizations I create in the <Button> and <Path> tags? For example, can I link only for some civilizations to another path that the game will then find, or is this blocked by schema or something? If I can't do that ... what other options might I have?

 

[<Nexus>]

You can use whatever path you correctly define.

 

[tedav]

I am trying to do what I assume is a very simple modification. All I want to do is change the religious shrine's
(1 gold per city following religion)
to
(1 *commerce* per city following religion)

I thought it would be as simple as editing the yield in
Civ4BuildingInfos
but the problem is
GlobalReligionCommerce is a specific tag, so I need to alter what that tag does, rather than if the building has it.

Please help!!!!

 

[Leoreth]

It's unfortunately not very simple. You have to make some significant changes to the DLL to enable yields (like commerce) from shrines instead of commerce types (like gold).