Test IV Time - The Alternative World 2016-10-05

[joelwest]

Thanks joelwest,

I had put "first five of the ten pack set of unit graphics with revised biq" to the Test IV Time forum first page for easy find download.

I am happy to report that I have now posted the complete ten pack add on scenario and the updated terrain files, both in the Civ 3 download area. see link in my signature below.

I also went back through all my old posts on this thread and updated and revised the info to reflect what is now actually available for download in the current version of my add on scenario. in particular check out all the new info in the spoilers.

What follows is the latest biq for the add on scenario (assumes new units are available). I fixed the incorrect UU assignments and the lighthouse being buildable inland.

View attachment 17L Test 4 Time Complete JDW (Random Map) 1.2.zip

============================================

what follows in the spoiler below is a discussion of Civ 3 sound files -

Spoiler :

I really like the new Submarine pings I got off the internet, but some may question my other choices of sounds for the various units in my add on scenario to T4T since I did not stick with the vanilla Civ 3 or Civ 4 sounds. Clint Eastwood's "make my day" may not sound good to you coming from a Sioux dog soldier during one of his attacks, for example.

If anyone wants to alter the sound files of the units to suit their own tastes, you MUST use a sound conversion program to alter the sample rate to 22 kHz for it to sound right during the game. many sound file players such as Winamp will REPORT the sample rate, but freeware that allows sample rate change is harder to find. I used an old payware version of Sony's music studio to make the sample rate conversions for the new sounds in the units of my add on scenario to T4T.

of course if you are merely substituting one Civ 3 sfx file for another, they will both already by at 22 kHz and so this will not be a concern.

one thing I learned tinkering with the Civ 3 unit sound files is that it is NOT a good idea to assign a sound file to the DEFAULT= tag in the [Sound Effects] section of the unit's ini file even though a lot of units have a DEFAULT= flc assigned to them.

the reason this is not a good idea is that Civ 3 continually loops this sound file while the unit is in focus rather than just playing it once as in a fortify. the net affect is to drive a player batty.

===========================

I also decided to change the default starting menu music of C3C. that sound file must be a 44 kHz MP3 (not the 22 kHz wav file for unit sounds discussed above) for it to work correctly. this change is NOT part of my T4T add on scenario however since it functions outside of selecting the mod to load.

 

[joelwest]

I am happy to report that I have now posted the complete ten pack add on scenario and the updated terrain files, both in the Civ 3 download area. see link in my signature below.

as of Oct 23 I have replaced the biq in the 10th pack of the 10 set pack with the current build of the biq (17W). I have also added to this pack the associated non-unit files that go with this revised biq in the "Joel's Test 4 Time Units" & "Test 4 Ti JDW" scenario folders. included are new sound files for volcano eruptions and the black death.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7356

the other nine download packs did not change since they all only contain files for units, and the unit files have not changed.

hence it is only necessary to download the tenth pack in the set if you have previously downloaded the unit files.

===================================

this revised build of the biq included in this revised pack ten of ten REQUIRES the new art for Wonder Splashes in these folders. it also fixes the problem that bureaucracy capital workshops (from the x3xx bureaucracy civic/gov) did not obsolete when the x4xx nationhood civic was about to be enabled, and emancipation halls (from the xx5x emancipation civic/gov) did not obsolete when xxx4 state property civic was about to be enabled.

for a detailed discussion of this civic fix see spoiler below -

Spoiler :

I had previously tried to minimize the number of free one turn civics to be researched before a gov could be enabled to the ones where more than one contemporary era tech was needed. it turns out I had to add back the free research for x4xx nationhood and xxx4 state property in order to detect one of those two civics was about to be enabled and hence the appropriate buildings needed to be obsoleted.

unlike Civ 4 this is a one way step. once the free precursor tech ("x4xx") to any civic set that has x4xx nationhood as its legal civic has been researched, bur capital workshops (from x3xx bur) are permanently obsoleted (even if bur is lated adopted again). similarly once the free precursor tech ("xxx4") to xxx4 state property is researched emancipation halls (from xx5x emancipation) are permanently obsoleted (even if xx5x emancipation is adopted again).

this restriction is due to the way Civ 3 obsoletes techs. if anyone knows of a workaround let me know.

there is also a free precursor tech ("x4x4") that enables both nationhood and state property, but simultaneously disables both bur capital workshops (from x3xx bur) & emancipation halls (from xx5x emancipation). this free precursor tech must be researched if the civic set desired contains both x4xx nationhood and xxx4 state property.

 

[joelwest]

as of Oct 23 I have replaced the biq in the 10th pack of the 10 set pack with the current build of the biq (17W).

update for Nov 9, 2007 -

I finally figured out how to use ftp to load the entire add on scenario in one place.

the complete scenario download is linked from
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7342

or directly at
http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads/civ3/modpack/Civ3-T4T-add-on-build-17X.zip

===============================================

since it is mostly the biq file and pediaicon.txt file that are changing as the mod is tested, there is a separate much smaller download of just the latest updates at
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7344

or directly at
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7344&act=down

===============================================

see the link in my sig below to download the brighter terrain for Civ 3 I compiled.

joelwest

 

[joelwest]

Thanks joelwest,

I had put "first five of the ten pack set of unit graphics with revised biq" to the Test IV Time forum first page for easy find download.

Scenarios\"complete download of my add-on scenario is now available at -
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7342

or directly at -
http://www.civfanatics.net/downloads/civ3/modpack/Civ3-T4T-add-on-build-17X.zip

just the latest updates is available at -
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7344

or directly at -
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7344&act=down

the directory search path of the biq is as follow -
Test 4 Ti JDW;Joel's Test 4 Time Units;Joel's Terrain;Test 4 Time 1.1 (C3C)

Scenarios\"Test 4 Ti JDW" is where the non-unit updates to Stargate's T4T go
Scenarios\"Joel's Test 4 Time Units" is where unit updates to Stargate's T4T go
Scenarios\"Joel's Terrain" is where my brighter terrain (unmodified to work with this mod) goes
Scenarios\"Test 4 Time 1.1 (C3C)" is where Stargate's original mod goes (until such time our mods are combined)

you will need to update this search path in the biq if you have a different directory structure under Scenarios\

joelwest

 

[David Smith]

Patch link is down!

 

[chaseclift]

I tried the demo of CivIV and I saw this and liking Civ4 I downloaded it but was disappointed because it was only for C3C. Will someone please make a Civ3 version of T4T .

 

[joelwest]

I have been away from this mod, and indeed away from both Civ 3 and Civ 4 about a year

the development of this mod halted, but it has been downloaded quite a bit

is there any interest in improving it?

complete download of my add-on scenario is available at -
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7342
264 downloads to Dec 23, 2008
328 downloads to Sept 19, 2009

brighter terrain for Civ 3 (9 MB size) is available separately at -
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7341
599 downloads to Dec 23, 2008
719 downloads to Sept 19, 2009

brighter terrain download FIXED on Sept 19, 2009

joelwest

 

[joelwest]

bump

the development of this mod halted, but it has been downloaded quite a bit

is there any interest in improving it?

the links to the mod and the replacement terrain files in the previous post ARE working as of Dec 23, 2008

 

[David Smith]

No the replacement terrain files in the previous posts doesn't work as of 25th.

 

[Optional]

The link to the files is working fine, but the files aren't there. Maybe they've been hacked away.
Of course you could just play the mod with your usual terrain.

I had a go at this mod, and I have to say it DOES go very slow at the beginning. With settlers costing 100 shields, at first I was never able to research a tech in less than the max amount of turns. So I started again, after having lowered the tech cost and turning on accellerated production. If you do that production goes a little too quick by the time you're in mid game, but the mod would in my view benefit from a faster tech pace in the beginning.

 

[Midnight-Blue766]

I think I might be making a PtW version of this mod, so I can play this very interesting sounding mod (I have CIV, so I already know what this might be like- hopefully ).

 

[joelwest]

recently I fixed the link in my sig to my version of terrain graphics so now it downloads correctly again. this is compilation of various bright terrain posted in this forum. the default C3C terrain in comparison is muddy and hard to read

I am currently working on fine tuning Test IV Time, or rather my add-on to Stargate's mod of that name. I finally created a replacement resources.pcx with text labels and a tnt.pcx that only marks out grassland outcroppings (with a rock and three red flowers). I posted these in the terrain graphics download area

I found caravels to be of little use to carry only "foot units" (scouts, explorers. or spies), so I no longer place the Civ 4 like restriction that they only carry "foot units". submarines on the other hand still have this restriction

wheeled units such as catapults are of little use if they can only be moved on flatlands with a road since they cannot :"see" a road in enemy territority where they are being used. hence catapults, trebuchets, cannons, artillery, and tanks are all still wheeled, but now only restricts there movement on mountain (peak) tiles or volcano tiles

I found that the Mercantilism civic (gov type xxx2 enabled by Banking) that exempts payment on building maintenance to give a much better boost to finances in Civ 3 that it did in Civ 4. at the time I invoked this civic (as part of an overall new gov type 2332) my building maintenance was over 200 gold per turn (I had over 30 cities by then), even greater than my corruption expenses I believe. it will be hard for the Civ 3 trade bonus (gov type xxx3 enabled by Economics) to supply anything near this much in added income, unlike in Civ 4

---------------------------

is anyone out there still playing this mod? if so, post your concerns here

joelwest

 

[mythusmage]

the Grenadier shipped with Civ 4 from the very start...

My apologies for the interrruption, but I'm all at sea regarding an instruction you include on the download page for your add on. It reads,

the folder search path in the biq in this download pack is

Test 4 Ti JDW;Joel's Test 4 Time Units;Joel's Terrain;Test 4 Time 1.1 (C3C)

you will have to change the directory name of your T4T folder to the latter
for the biq to work unmodified. alternatively you can open the biq (after
removing its read only file attribute) and update the folder name in the
search path to your own T4T folder name.

That confuses me. Would it be clearer to say, "Find the T4T folder and rename it Test4Time."?

Where editing the biq file is concerned, can that be done using a text editor?

 

[mythusmage]

How?

Which files do I need, and what goes where?

BTW, since the patches and what not basically update the mod, why not just replace the old files with the new ones and produce an easy to download, easy to install single folder?

 

[mythusmage]

I have been away from this mod, and indeed away from both Civ 3 and Civ 4 about a year

I'm about to try Test IV Time out, but without out your addon. Why, because I don't understand your instructions for making the 17X Test 4 Time JDW (Random Map) 1.2.biq biq file work with Test IV Time, and apparently Mac text apps don't work with .biq files. That is, when I opened the file with Mute Editor or Text Editor I got code instead of text.

The T4T folder on my machine is named, "Test IV Time v1.0; would it be possible to get a copy of your .biq files with search changed to "Test IV Time v1.0"?

Update: Below is a copy in part of what I got when I opened 17X with Mute Editor...

Ñ$Ç≈J)#ö¿æfÕ{_Ä·˛ÄJô9t@–A%Mõ2 Z∂Ö∂ù lËîë„&ù4v[ªÚF≤⁄Ã'±I≥∂IpÿÑ…"ç[/ô‚Lÿøïqs∂âm©Ú¶m˝î≠V´aNö7nTÄ∏ìÜa»êiŸå9 ƒ÷úö7eÿ‹M«PH≠≤µ¢I8)@† [üu_Sffi∞aÛ∂ñ+∑ï≤e¨é‹:–$ÿàëÚÏ°ìnŸÒ∆l°∂ê[•€ú±≈OlÚÜŒ€´#∑òÖ- Î≥ [,}9ÀXÄêëRÀóFÓ9˚È_ƒ‰å-`∆÷ ù∞ßù≤ÕºóœØä:n»VÌãÿ§9{ß´˝Õ≠fi”∞QG[- èızØw–§Ωáw∂nÎ∏,ûFeø,_e/Bfi˘á•—]@‹K5˜>¶≈âJç1u“∞!õX=kÀW€

Not what you're supposed to get, now is it?

 

[mythusmage]

Take Test IV Time and your add on, consolidate everything into one grand mod, correct any errors you find (looking for ICON_BLDG_Market instead of ICON_BLDG_Marketplace for example), and make sure the biq file looks for the Test of Time folder.

I really would like the try your add on, but I can't right now. For the sake of people like me, put together an updated Test IV Time mod correcting errors found, and give it a new name. I would appreciate it.

 

[joelwest]

My apologies for the interrruption, but I'm all at sea regarding an instruction you include on the download page for your add on. It reads,

That confuses me. Would it be clearer to say, "Find the T4T folder and rename it Test4Time."?

Where editing the biq file is concerned, can that be done using a text editor?

Spoiler :

the Civ 3 editor is installed for Civ 3 vanilla, Civ 3 PTW, and C3C in the default folder. T4T only works with C3C so the file you are looking for is

\Civ 3\Conquests\Civ3ConquestsEdit.exe

there is similar "cracked" version of the editor available here at the Civ 3 forum called Civ3ConquestsEdit-cracked.exe

the totally unmodded biq that shipped with the game (or its patch) is called

\Civ 3\Conquests\conquests.biq

biq is the extension C3C gives to the game file that determines how the base game or any of its modded variants will work

if you open the C3C game file editor Civ3ConquestsEdit.exe (run this file) by default it opens conquests.biq (the default game file for C3C) since it does not know which biq you plan to update

to open any biq you want in the editor or its cracked version associate the file extension "biq" with one of these two Civ 3 game file editors

=============

the T4T game file biq is part of the overall 90 MB download of Text 4 Time

you are interested in how to alter the search path used by the biq to find the files it needs to create a modded C3C game

the file used by the game when you run C3C chose "Load Content" (run a user created mod) will be found at the following location and called something like the following after the downloaded files are copied into your Civ 3 directory structure

\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\17Y Test 4 Time JDW (Random Map).biq

if the extension biq is correctly associated with the C3C editor (see above) double-clicking this biq file will bring up that build of T4T in the C3C editor

=============

now that you have the right game file biq in the C3C editor open up Scenario -> Scenario Properties and the third box down from the upper left will be called "Scenario Search Folders"

although not evident by this vague label, this is where the editor expects to find folders under Scenarios containing content for the mod. for example

\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\A
\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\B
\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\C
\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\D

would be indicated in this box as

A;B;C;D

each folder name is separated by a colon

if a biq used "A;B;C;D" in "Scenario Search Folders", a total of eight folders would have be searched in order to create a new modded game for C3C. in order top to bottom the search would be in -

\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\A
\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\B
\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\C
\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\D

which are the four new search paths you created

if the name of your mod were "my add-on mod.biq", the next folder it would look in would be

\Civ 3\Conquests\Scenarios\my add-on mod

finally the game searches the same three folders all C3C games look in for game content -

\Civ 3\Conquests
\Civ 3\Civ3PTW
\Civ 3

the best way to imagine the method devised by the creators of C3C to create a modded game is to imagine this as a layer cake in which each new layer covers up the previous layer ONLY IF THERE IS NEW CONTENT

the PTW expansion (the first official expansion to Civ 3) added new content but kept much of the original game EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED BY REPLACEMENT FILES found in the \Civ3\Civ3PTW folder

similarly when C3C was released it kept all of Civ 3 as modified by \Civ3\Civ3PTW and added content from the \Civ 3\Conquests folder. only if files in the new folder had the same name as one from one of the two original folders did it replace its content. (the rest of the \Civ 3\Conquests folder contained files not in either of the previously released versions)

Stargate's original mod similarly used all the C3C content total content (all three search paths) and updated various files with what was in his mod folder

if the mod folder has the same name as the biq file (minus ".biq"), the game is smart enough by default to act as if you put that name in the "Scenario Search Folders" box even if you put nothing there

however I like to leave nothing to chance because the name of the biq and the folder may accidentally be changed to no longer be identical

so the first iterations of my add-on to Stargate's mod had a folder name of "my add-on mod", then a colon, and then his folder name in the "Scenario Search Folders" box

later I created replacement terrain (to replace both the original C3C terrain and Stargate's terrain) in a separate folder and moved the new military units I created into a separate folder. hence my search path now contains four entries. the first two entries can occur in either order since by design no content is duplicated in "my add-on mod" and its "units" folder. my "terrain" folder comes next because I want to replace both the default C3C terrain as well as the terrain Stargate put in his mod. the "Stargate's Test IV Time mod" is last folder listed but is still necessary because unless I have overwritten a given file with the three previous folders, all his content is needed to replace the default C3C files (and make his stand alone mod function correctly)

I am one of those persons who never accepts the default install location of a program and usually also changes its install directory name. hence I made no attempt to keep the install paths the default ones from out of the box. however C3C already knows where it is installed on your computer (as an entry in your registry), even if you put it somewhere other than its default install location and directory, so all you need to make a mod work is to put the folder name(s) of all your new material in your biq file at "Scenario Search Folders". this is where game looks to find the additional content needed to make your mod work (as defined in the revised rules of your biq). even this step is not necessary as long as all your content is in one folder and the name of your mod is "that folder name.biq"

a potential installation problem for T4T is that I used a different folder name than Stargate ever used for his own mod. if you downloaded my add-on mod (folders) only to install its new content (leaving Stargate's folder alone) the resulting folder structure would ensure that the mod created using my biq would NOT work - the biq needs many of Stargate's files, but the search name in the "Scenario Search Folders" box would be wrong, a problem easily solved if you look at the comments above

above is a detailed step by step guide to how the search path in the scenario tab of the C3C editor works. since Stargate's mod was released in two pieces and then my files were released in addition I can understand why having the mod in at least three major pieces can be quite confusing. one of the first things I did when I started working on my add-on was to combine all of Stargate's work into just one folder. unfortunately Stargate never created such a combined folder himself, and so this combined folder of his work only exists as part of my 90 MB download (although you can manually create your own version like I did by combining his pieces)

if the entire 90 MB mod is installed without reference to Stargate's original mod my add-on mod will work fine since I put all of Stargate's changes into just one folder, and that folder is correctly identified in the "Scenario Search Folders" box of my biq. for all the other gory details see the spoiler above

the first few posts of this thread contain Stargate's file for his mod, and if all you want to do is test his version of it, those are all the files that are necessary for the mod to work as he originally designed it

since mythusmage finds the unconsolidated nature of my add-on to be a major issue in trying it out, I will contact Stargate to see if he is still active at this forum, and if so wants me to combine the two mods together. without his permission, it would not be right to do this since he created his original mod with no input at all from me, and it would be a misrepresentation to call it "my" mod. he changed many things I have not yet even considered changing (or even know how to change)

joelwest

 

[mythusmage]

Joel,

I agree with your reason for wanting Stargate's permission regarding a consolidated Test 4 Time mod. CivIII Mods are, to use a music term, fantasias on the original game. Variations on a theme, and as derivative works in a legal gray area. That Firaxis even allows it is amazing.

What's needed here is an adaptation of the Creative Commons license. Firaxis applies a Creative Commons allowing for non-commercial derivative works to CivIII, with the added stipulation that all such derivative works allow subsequential non-commercial derivative works. That would appear to be the case with Rise of the Prince, which is a work derivative of Rhye's of Civilization, but having it spelled out for certain parties would make life simpler for folks.

Possible Wording: Civilization III is a wholly owned copyright of Firaxis Games, which reserves all rights under applicable US and international law. Permission is granted by Firaxis to third parties to produce derivative material for Civilization III so long as such material is made freely available to the public, requires Civilization III for usage, and permission is given by the author of said material for the creation of material derivative of his work. (Word as needed to make the shysters happy.)

Don't know if Firaxis would go for it, but if you didn't ask you'd never know for certain.

 

[joelwest]

Joel,

I agree with your reason for wanting Stargate's permission regarding a consolidated Test 4 Time mod. CivIII Mods are, to use a music term, fantasias on the original game. Variations on a theme, and as derivative works in a legal gray area. That Firaxis even allows it is amazing..

I also wrote to Thunderfall recently to get a clarification regarding the current FTP instructions for loading large mods such mine

if Stargate does not respond, I will attempt to make it as clear as possible that I did NOT originate all the material of the mod, but I will re-package it all into only three scenario folders - terrain (and other non-mod options), units, and everything else (meaning his work and mine will be merged). units took longer than even the new gov civics to work out. however if several people start playtesting this mod again, and they request it, I may just have two scenario folders, one for the mod and one for the terrain (and other non-mod options)

mythusmage, did you try to download and playtest T4T yourself?

I just reinstalled Civ 4 up to the latest patch of Beyond the Sword and have started a game to compare how it works to how my T4T mod works. the documentation on Civ 4 diplomacy is not good, so I currently do not know when the Civ 3 tech thresholds are reached without playing such a Civ 4 game. I also am updating the Civilopedia to make the T4T mod more user friendly. currently only by opening the biq in the editor and looking at the settings do you know how the mod really works, but this is a deterrent to more people trying out the mod

joelwest

 

[mythusmage]

mythusmage, did you try to download and playtest T4T yourself?

I did, the problem appears to be a file I don't have on my machine. Having the memory of a leaky bucket, I don't recall which file it is. Maybe if we could get Sid to agree to making old versions of Civilization open source.