[Religion and Revolution]: Mod Development

[raystuttgart]

I implemented a new feature: Veteran through Combat
(It is tested and uploaded to SVN.)

1. Free Settlers can become Veterans (Experts in their Military Profession) through Combat Experience
(This does not happen for Specialists or other Units where the feature is purposely deactivated in XML.)

2. Indentured Servants and Petty Criminals can gain their freedom (and become Free Settlers) through bravery in Combat (technically also Combat Experience)

The feature is fully integrated in the LbD framework.
(And thus fully customizable in XML.)

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Hope you will like it.

 

[Nightinggale]

@Nightinggale:

If you are currently interested in coding something for RaR, I might have a suggestion:

Sure I'm interested, but at the moment I'm already postponing bugfixes for M:C due to lack of time. Sounds like a great idea though.

One thing, which I have been planning to do for quite a while is to figure out why the game asserts on CvPlayer::checkPower(). It doesn't look like it is a major issue, but it indicates that the AI view power of each player incorrectly and act on incorrect estimates (sounds human). It doesn't look like it causes desyncs though even though it theoretically might do that.

 

[raystuttgart]

Sure I'm interested, ...

Great.

... but at the moment I'm already postponing bugfixes for M:C due to lack of time.

No problem.
Every modder needs to work by his priorities.

Sounds like a great idea though.

Yeah, I also believe that Rallying Points could be quite handy.

... is to figure out why the game asserts on CvPlayer::checkPower().

If you eventually find the time, that would be good as well.
(Although I currently don't believe either, that it is a real issue.)

 

[raystuttgart]

I added a new unique Water Goody:
(Tested and uploaded to SVN.)

The player will find a basically intact ship floating on the ocean. The crew had died of thirst.
(Player will receive a Caravel.)

It is nothing special just a small idea from my list to add a bit more diversity.
(And this morning I was still too tired to work on something bigger.)

 

[PatriotNorwood]

Nice work with this mod, it looks like you are making good progress. Keep up the good work.

 

[raystuttgart]

I added a new feature:
(Tested and uploaded to SVN.)

Less binary Combat

Meaning combat will not always end with one side being dead anymore.
Now Combats also sometimes end with both sides simply being wounded / damaged.

Spoiler :

Yeah I know there is "Withdrawal" and "Evasion" but this works quite differently.

It is basically a slightly modified version of the same feature from Commander Bello from his RaR modmod.
(So most of the credits go to him. )

In my tests the results are pretty good.

1) If both combatants are almost equally strong, in some cases combat ends without clear winner.
(That is quite interesting to me.)

2) If one combatant is much stronger than the other, in almost all cases, the other combatant dies.
(Basically almost the same as it was until now.)

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I really do like the new behaviour.
But of course, we will do some intensive testing of this in our testing phase before we will publish the release.

 

[raystuttgart]

I implemented a small new functionality for Achievments:
(Tested and uploaded to SVN.)

Achievments for "Sea Battles won"
(Until now it was only possible for overall Battles)

in CIV4AchieveInfos.xml:

<iNumCombatsWonNeeded> --> changed: for "Land Combats won" (only)
<iNumSeaCombatsWonNeeded> --> new: for "Sea Combats won"

So the Achievments we had for "Land Combats won" are still working.

We currently just don't have any Achievments for "Sea Combat won" yet.
(Until now it is just an unused possibility.)

Spoiler :

I believe the following ones would completely suffice:

* 10 Sea Battles won
* 30 Sea Battles won

@Schmiddie:

Would you like to create the images needed ?
(And maybe even the complete Achievments ?)

There is no need to hurry of course.
(This is pretty low priority.)

 

[Schmiddie]

Hm, currently I'm not interested to create any graphics for that since it is a lot of work. Maybe in a few months...

 

[raystuttgart]

Hm, currently I'm not interested to create any graphics for that since it is a lot of work. Maybe in a few months...

Ok.
As I said, this is pretty low priority.

But it would still be a small nice atmospherical addition.
(So I would really like to see it in the mod some day.)

 

[Schmiddie]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We proudly present the first "Great Admiral" who will arrive in the New World very soon....

Hope you like it...

 

[raystuttgart]

Hope you like it...

Very nice.

"Great Admiral" who will arrive in the New World very soon ...

I will probably have the feature "Great Admirals" implemented and tested by tomorrow.
(It will also require a bit of rebalancing the Promotions.)

 

[Willi_Tell]

Wow - I really like the Admiral!

Please, Schmiddie, don't bother about the achievement pics. I'll do them with pleasure, if you keep on serving such beautiful units instead

I implemented a new feature: Veteran through Combat

Didn't see/realize this - very very very good job, Ray! I will love this feature!

 

[raystuttgart]

I'll do them with pleasure, ...

Thanks a lot.

... if you keep on serving such beautiful units instead

Yes indeed, Schmiddie's graphics are great.

I will love this feature!

The feature "Veteran by Combat" was on my todo list for a very long time.
We simply always postponed the big concept "Improvment / Rebuild of Military and Combat System" (containing lots of small features) because of all the work implied.

Now however we decided to finally work on that topic.
(It is planned to be the focus of at least 2 releases actually.)

 

[Schmiddie]

Wow - I really like the Admiral!

Please, Schmiddie, don't bother about the achievement pics. I'll do them with pleasure, if you keep on serving such beautiful units instead

Thank you! If you have the right graphic programs, good basic graphics (like Pirates) and a little bit Patience (or 3 years hard work in this regard lol) it is not so difficult to create new units...

 

[raystuttgart]

Great Admirals is now fully implemented, tested and uploaded to SVN.

Great Generals

* now only acquired by Experience through Land Combat
* can only be attached to Land Units (except Cannons which is a design decision)
* give Experience and unlock special Promotions

Great Admiral

* only acquired by Experience through Sea Combat
* can only be attached to Ships
* give Experience and unlock special Promotions

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So if you fight a lot on land, you will get Great Generals that can further strengthen your army.
If you fight a lot at sea you will get Great Admirals that can further strengthen your fleet.

Both, Great Generals and Great Admirals are really valuable if you want to boost your units.
(As I said, they give XP but they also unlock special promotions that are otherwise not available to the units.)

It is just a small feature / change but I still like it a lot.
The graphics from Schmiddie fit in perfectly of course.

By the way:

In Military Advisor you will now also see your progress for Great Admirals. (see Screenshot)

And of course generation of Great Generals and Great Admirals can be balanced separately (in GlobalDefinesAlt.xml).
(Thresholds and Threshold Increases)

 

[Schmiddie]

Cool!

In Military Advisor you will now also see your progress for Great Admirals. (see Screenshot)

Fantastic!!!!!

 

[raystuttgart]

Cool!

Glad you like it.

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I know I am annoying everybody with Achievments.

But there already is a special Achievment "First Great General" directly popping up once you get your first Great General.
(Basically only showing an image. No story text.)

Thus I would really love to also have the Achievment "First Great Admiral".
(Also only showing an image. No story text.)

Of course, that is again low priority.

 

[agnat86]

Hello everyone,

I've written pedia texts for coca leaves (CIV4GameText_RaR_Release2.xml, attached in zip file). I've also included the ImprovementInfos.xml file, as some of the entries of the coca post & depot improvements referred to the wrong pedia text files.

I hven't done the texts for blades yet. That's also a bit harder at the moment, as I don't know what their functionality in the game is going to be, so I think it's better to wait until the concept has been fleshed out something more.

I've noticed that a great lot of pedia texts could really use some improvement. Many new texts lack colour-marked words (which makes long texts readable), as well as links to related entries (like for example, a reference to the Cocoa yield in the Strategy text of the Expert Cocoa Planter). Also, many of them are still quite short, and can be expanded.

I'm planning to work on that on the near future. I can share the results with you, if you like.

 

[raystuttgart]

Thanks for the texts.
I have checked the attached XML and uploaded them to SVN.

But actually you have write access to our SVN.
So you could simply upload (commit) your changes to SVN server yourself.
There is no need to attach those zips here in the forum.

So if you do further text improvments, I suggest you simply directly commit them to SVN.
It is the easiest way to work together.

All other people working on the mod will directly get your changes then.
(I can still easily check the diff of the commit and will directly see all changes.)

And yes, all help with those texts is appreciated a lot.

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About Blades:

A) Produced by Profession "Bladesmith" with Expert also being "Master Blacksmiths"

B) Some Professions need Blades

* There is a new (weak military) Profession Town Guard (see Screenshot) using Blades (already implemented and uploaded to SVN)
* Profession Cuirassier now also needs Blades (instead of Tools as it used to)
* Scouts now also need a few Blades additionally to Horses
* In the future, we will probably have more Professions needing Blades (not upcoming Release though)

C) Some Ships need Blades

* Privateers
* War Ships need a few (but less Cannons than before)

 

[gay_Aleks]

Question: Would privateer fights contribute to Great Admirals?