Rhye's and Fall of Europe: Starting Information
- Thread starter AbsintheRed
- Start date
3Miro
Deity
Hi guys!
It is good to see that there are still people with passion about this mod, unfortunately, I would have to disappoint by saying that I would not be coming back to modding. The process takes tremendous amount of time and energy and it is hard to make such an investment in a 10 year old game and 6 year old mod.
Before I started to do actual coding, RFCE was a thread filled with ideas for over a year. There is always an abundance of people with ideas and always shortage of coding skill. When I left 3 years ago, we did release RFCE 1.0 and I see that people have updated it to a more stable and bug-less 1.1. I consider the project complete.
Mohrlot and others were excited about RFCE++ and merging the two mods, but there is this thing called "burn-out". The modding process is so intense that you do need a break every now and then.
At this time, I can give advice regarding coding and modding, but will not be doing any of the work myself. I don't know what happened to Mohrlot's code, but the RFCE 1.1 source is included in the download.
Adding new civs can be done via Python and XML, but my guess is that the Unions would require C++ skills. This depends on what one does with the Unions, but C++ is pretty much a must have in a project like this. IMO the biggest challenge of having so many nations would be to balance the AI. It is 10 year old game and you can most clearly see this in the AI. Massive changes in the AI code are just not feasible.
It is good to see that there are still people with passion about this mod, unfortunately, I would have to disappoint by saying that I would not be coming back to modding. The process takes tremendous amount of time and energy and it is hard to make such an investment in a 10 year old game and 6 year old mod.
Before I started to do actual coding, RFCE was a thread filled with ideas for over a year. There is always an abundance of people with ideas and always shortage of coding skill. When I left 3 years ago, we did release RFCE 1.0 and I see that people have updated it to a more stable and bug-less 1.1. I consider the project complete.
Mohrlot and others were excited about RFCE++ and merging the two mods, but there is this thing called "burn-out". The modding process is so intense that you do need a break every now and then.
At this time, I can give advice regarding coding and modding, but will not be doing any of the work myself. I don't know what happened to Mohrlot's code, but the RFCE 1.1 source is included in the download.
Adding new civs can be done via Python and XML, but my guess is that the Unions would require C++ skills. This depends on what one does with the Unions, but C++ is pretty much a must have in a project like this. IMO the biggest challenge of having so many nations would be to balance the AI. It is 10 year old game and you can most clearly see this in the AI. Massive changes in the AI code are just not feasible.
Tigranes
Armenian
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2008
- Messages
- 10,211
Long time no see! 
I hope everything is great with your life!
While it is sad that you won't do modding anymore, even occasional presence here and some advice to the people here who might get inspired -- is a very good thing. Sometimes one runs into a pesky little bug in interface, like Genua declared war to Genua, and it might require one tiny fix, but when one does not know -- he has to play with it. So anything is better than nothing!
I hope everything is great with your life!While it is sad that you won't do modding anymore, even occasional presence here and some advice to the people here who might get inspired -- is a very good thing. Sometimes one runs into a pesky little bug in interface, like Genua declared war to Genua, and it might require one tiny fix, but when one does not know -- he has to play with it. So anything is better than nothing!
Baron03
Baron
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2010
- Messages
- 330
Modding is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it will keep you busy!
Sometimes it's hard not to brainstorm about the mod, but I would imagine that the number of AI would increase to the middle of the game and then gradually decrease towards the end of the game (assuming a lot of nations were to be added).
And I hope you're doing well 3Miro!
Sometimes it's hard not to brainstorm about the mod, but I would imagine that the number of AI would increase to the middle of the game and then gradually decrease towards the end of the game (assuming a lot of nations were to be added).
And I hope you're doing well 3Miro!
3Miro
Deity
Life's going well for me. I'm pretty busy at work, but it is a stable job and it pays really well.
I can easily give advice, but will not be modding myself.
Tigranes, do you understand Python? The Geona declared war to Genoa bug is most likely in AIWars.py. In order to make the AI more aggressive, Rhye had added the mechanics where AI would semi-randomly attack it's neighbors to try and conquer as much as possible from it's war map. However, on line 126, there should be a check to make sure the civ doesn't declare war on itself:
I can't test this right now, but that should be the first thing to try.
I can easily give advice, but will not be modding myself.
Tigranes, do you understand Python? The Geona declared war to Genoa bug is most likely in AIWars.py. In order to make the AI more aggressive, Rhye had added the mechanics where AI would semi-randomly attack it's neighbors to try and conquer as much as possible from it's war map. However, on line 126, there should be a check to make sure the civ doesn't declare war on itself:
I can't test this right now, but that should be the first thing to try.
3Miro
Deity
Baron03 is asking how to add a new civ to the game.
An existing civ can be modified using Python and XML, i.e., take one civ and change the descriptions in XML as well as the starting location maps etc.
To add a new civ, you need to update MAX_CIV_PLAYERS in CvDefines.h, i.e., you need to recompile the DLL. Then add all the information to the Python and XML.
Compilers (such as Visual Studio) change over time and you have to make sure to use the correct compiler. Look for a general tutorial on how to compile the Civ 4 DLL on a modern compiler. Then use the source files from the RFCEurope 1.1.zip and go from there.
An existing civ can be modified using Python and XML, i.e., take one civ and change the descriptions in XML as well as the starting location maps etc.
To add a new civ, you need to update MAX_CIV_PLAYERS in CvDefines.h, i.e., you need to recompile the DLL. Then add all the information to the Python and XML.
Compilers (such as Visual Studio) change over time and you have to make sure to use the correct compiler. Look for a general tutorial on how to compile the Civ 4 DLL on a modern compiler. Then use the source files from the RFCEurope 1.1.zip and go from there.
merijn_v1
Black Belt
Great to hear from you 3Miro.
3Miro
Deity
To keep replying Baron03, changing the maximum number of civilization in the DLL file is the only change that should be done there (if I remember correctly). However, you will have to update pretty much every Python file and the WB file.
Starting from the WB file, open the file with a text editor (e.g., textpad under windows) and then look at the syntax and add one more civilization and team.
Then add the corresponding entry in the Python Const.py file. The indexing of the civilizations between python and the WB file has to match.
Then you need to add maps for cities, war preferences and settlers. Then update the provinces, stability, UP, UHV .... Every python file that lists all the nations in a row has to be updated with the new nation.
Of course, you will also have to update the XML files with leaderhead art, flags colors, names, etc.
The speed of the game is determined by the total number of cities and units of all nations, but it is also determined (to a lesser degree) by the total number of nations. The waiting time between turns is when the AI has to think (if you can call that thinking), the AI has to make decisions regarding every unit and city, however, there are global decisions to be made for each player, i.e., diplomacy, global strategy or expansion and war, etc. Collapsed civilizations don't really matter in terms of speed.
Starting from the WB file, open the file with a text editor (e.g., textpad under windows) and then look at the syntax and add one more civilization and team.
Then add the corresponding entry in the Python Const.py file. The indexing of the civilizations between python and the WB file has to match.
Then you need to add maps for cities, war preferences and settlers. Then update the provinces, stability, UP, UHV .... Every python file that lists all the nations in a row has to be updated with the new nation.
Of course, you will also have to update the XML files with leaderhead art, flags colors, names, etc.
The speed of the game is determined by the total number of cities and units of all nations, but it is also determined (to a lesser degree) by the total number of nations. The waiting time between turns is when the AI has to think (if you can call that thinking), the AI has to make decisions regarding every unit and city, however, there are global decisions to be made for each player, i.e., diplomacy, global strategy or expansion and war, etc. Collapsed civilizations don't really matter in terms of speed.
Tigranes
Armenian
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2008
- Messages
- 10,211
I KNOW, you are not responsible for RFCE++ but considering your debugging skills can you please spend few minutes of your time helping me to avoid CTD with the save attached? CTD happens when you press end of turn. OP in my sig contains RFCE++ beta 3 download with hotfixes(in case you dont have one), which was running mostly fine, but shows some strange errors sometimes...
EDIT: I was able to locate the problem, and seems like it is general RFCE, not ++ related. My human civ is shown to have Plague on the scoreboard, but no actual Plague "building" in my only city. If I use WB and manually add Plague -- no CTD happens. Next turn I can use WB again and remove Plague -- game plays as normal, with no crushes, but the plague icon does not disappear from the scoreboard
EDIT: I was able to locate the problem, and seems like it is general RFCE, not ++ related. My human civ is shown to have Plague on the scoreboard, but no actual Plague "building" in my only city. If I use WB and manually add Plague -- no CTD happens. Next turn I can use WB again and remove Plague -- game plays as normal, with no crushes, but the plague icon does not disappear from the scoreboard
3Miro
Deity
I don't even have Civ 4 installed right now 
The plague is implemented almost entirely in Python. Check the python error log for hints on why thy may be happening. I have the source code and i will look into it, but the log file would be of great use.
The plague is implemented almost entirely in Python. Check the python error log for hints on why thy may be happening. I have the source code and i will look into it, but the log file would be of great use.
Welcome back 3Miro. I never had the chance to congratulate you for this mod because I only started posting here sometime after you left, and then after more then a year I left too. But now I can finally do this, so thanks for the great effort you put on this mod, it was one my favorite mods for quite some time.
3Miro
Deity
Thanks, Spirictum! I am glad that you are enjoying the mod.
I stopped modding about 3 years ago, developing a massive mod such as RFCE was just too time consuming for me. At that time, there were several other modders that took over and all patches and development beyond RFCE 1.0 was done without me. Since then, development has pretty much stopped.
I am back, but only to the extend of writing the occasional comment and helping people with modding questions. I will not be personally doing any more modding of RFCE.
With regard to the Byzantium UHV, the conditions are coded in Python and it should be relatively easy to change. Also, the text is exported in XML, so that can updated too. However, declaring war on Rome is an issue. As far as I remember, I spend quite some time making sure that nobody could possibly conquer the Pope. I don't claim that I have not missed something, but I cannot tell you how to do this without editing C++ (which is tricky business). Rome cannot collapse either.
Also, the 3d UHV for every nation is supposed to be ahistorical (for example, Kiev survives the Mongols) and the Byzantines did conquer Rome on couple of occasions. Keeping Rome until some late year would be ahistoric, but I don't know if it is challenging enough.
If you want a challenge, you can consider other options:
- capture all (or most) coastal cities in the Mediterranean
- have the highest score
- ensure that the total Orthodox population surpasses the Catholics (or any other religion)
- something along those lines ....
Shadow Warlord
Warlord
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2014
- Messages
- 272
We could also try making the pope spawn later, as the Papal States didn't come into existence as a political unit until about 750. This would give the player a small chance to bring Rome under Byzantine control if they so desired.
Rafaelito
Warlord
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2014
- Messages
- 139
i completey agree with shadow lord, the pope is not supposed to exist since 500 AD. Also, there might be a way to destroy the pope, it´s annoying not to own all the whole italy.
About the 3rd UHV, i agree with 3miro, we should have like "Conquer the whole mediterranean", that would be a good challenge.
in SVN edition i´ve found some bugs, like the promotion "city raider" does not work. Also, we need more barbarian invasion at emperor level
About the 3rd UHV, i agree with 3miro, we should have like "Conquer the whole mediterranean", that would be a good challenge.
in SVN edition i´ve found some bugs, like the promotion "city raider" does not work. Also, we need more barbarian invasion at emperor level
saddam_who_sane
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2010
- Messages
- 58
I like new svn changes
Bigger stability penalties for merchant republic and bureaucracy is a really good idea.
I like playing for merchant republics as Venice, Genoa or Netherlands. And I always wondered why foes with huge empires didn't get serious stability hits when I change their government civics to merchant republic by espionage.
May be Novgorodian and Venetian UP's should be enlarged then with something like "no stability penalty for number of cities with bureaucracy (Novgorod) and merchant republic (Venice)"?
Bigger stability penalties for merchant republic and bureaucracy is a really good idea.
I like playing for merchant republics as Venice, Genoa or Netherlands. And I always wondered why foes with huge empires didn't get serious stability hits when I change their government civics to merchant republic by espionage.
May be Novgorodian and Venetian UP's should be enlarged then with something like "no stability penalty for number of cities with bureaucracy (Novgorod) and merchant republic (Venice)"?
AbsintheRed
Deity
I like new svn changes
Bigger stability penalties for merchant republic and bureaucracy is a really good idea.
I like playing for merchant republics as Venice, Genoa or Netherlands. And I always wondered why foes with huge empires didn't get serious stability hits when I change their government civics to merchant republic by espionage.
May be Novgorodian and Venetian UP's should be enlarged then with something like "no stability penalty for number of cities with bureaucracy (Novgorod) and merchant republic (Venice)"?
Nice idea
Novgorod will get half the normal stability penalty for too many cities in Bureaucracy
Same with Venice, for Merchant Republic
Rather than destroying the Pope, how about conquering all of mainland Italy apart from Rome results in a player automatically vassalising the Pope? That would be similar to how the Ostrogoths and Napoleon essentially puppeted the Pope to their needs. Whilst those happened outside the time scale of the mod, they could have occurred during the time scale, with the Lombards almost succeeding in controlling the papacy.
It would allow a civ to effectively control all of Italy, and you could get some bonuses, such as tribute based on the Catholic population and the ability to influence crusades. But also penalties such as negative diplo modifiers and more coordinated attacks and efforts by Catholic factions to break your control over the Pope.
Could also be incorporated into a potential UHV for the Byzantines and Germans (HRE).
Alpaya
Chieftain
Nice mod, thank you guys!
