The Ancient Mediterranean MOD (TAM)

[HellboundHeathcliff]

I have TAM 2.2, is there any Patch to 2.3?

Scroll up to post #811 and download that. Backup the files it replaces just in case but it should work fine.

You'll have to put them in the proper folders.

 

[deo]

Thank you very much :Goodjob:

 

[waTTe]

This mod is by for the best I know. I´ve played it before and now gave the newest update a revival. Fine ressources, fine units, wonders, etc. Thanks for all that!

My game (emperor, egyptians, the "east map") was fun, but No challenge at all.
It took my a while to find out why ....
The AI didn´t improve any terrain - no roads, no mines, no irrigations, througout the whole world ... only egypt, the land of milk and honey

Another thing that didnt work: Egyptians will not suffer from disease -
Pure legend , - I had diseases nearly every turn, badly reducing my cities population - the only city spared was the capital.

One thing to make this mod perfect would be a different tech-tree for the "barbarian nations" like huns, germans, goths.

Please continue your work on this revived mod!

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

This mod is by for the best I know. I´ve played it before and now gave the newest update a revival. Fine ressources, fine units, wonders, etc. Thanks for all that!

My game (emperor, egyptians, the "east map") was fun, but No challenge at all.
It took my a while to find out why ....
The AI didn´t improve any terrain - no roads, no mines, no irrigations, througout the whole world ... only egypt, the land of milk and honey

Another thing that didnt work: Egyptians will not suffer from disease -
Pure legend , - I had diseases nearly every turn, badly reducing my cities population - the only city spared was the capital.

One thing to make this mod perfect would be a different tech-tree for the "barbarian nations" like huns, germans, goths.

Please continue your work on this revived mod!

Open the biq in the editor and check 'cured by sanitation' for flood plains. I think i posted the one before i put it back. They still suffer but it is reduced alot. You'll need to start a new game for it to take effect.

I'll post a complete patch for 2.4 with some other minor changes soon. Right now i'm working on adding animated leaders but it is gonna be huge so i cut back on 3rd party ones and am using as many civ3 leaders as possible.

I don't know why the AI doesn't build workers. Either that or the barbs kill them. As far as i can tell, the AI spends the whole game building settlers, especially on the large map. I might play one thru on the no-barbs map to see if it makes a difference.

Anyone heard from thamis lately?

 

[waTTe]

Thanks for the hint on sanitation watorrey.

I don't know why the AI doesn't build workers.

Well it had to be something you changed? Cause the AI builded them in the last version I played - 2.1 or 2.2?

AI spends the whole game building settlers

Yes fascinating and anyoing how the AI try to settle every dot on the map even if its on the opposite end of the map.

I´ll try for another game, and would like to encourage others to post thier experiences - cause if its not only a prob in my game you should cancel all other projects till we solved the worker prob - it makes the whole mod unplayable, if you dont want to rule like on chieftain.

 

[thamis]

I'm back.

Regarding the MOD: watorrey, work on it as much as you like. The 2.4 (Mac) version already incorporates the changes in pedia, etc. It also works for the PC, of course. The EXE is currently being built by OJi.

The AI: I can't change how the AI works. That's hard-coded into the game. For that, we'll have to wait for CIV4.

I'm not going to make major changes to the MOD anymore, such as tech tree. I give watorrey free hand on what he wishes to do, though. Watorrey: the main forum for TAM (with its big fans) is here: http://www.cdgroup.org/forums/tbs/civ3/index.php?h=1&pf=21 . If you post there, maybe you can get more feedback on your changes?

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

Update attached to this post.

Download and install the 2.4 (MAC) (was there ever a mac C3C?) from the first post. That is the latest version thamis has posted and includes a new terrain set

Then install this update by backing up the files it replaces and putting the files in the right folders. It's just the biqs, pedia, scripts and a notes file.

@thamis: Thanks for the confidence. I'll try not to screw it up too much. I'll also pay more attn to the other forum.

@WaTTe: It's definately too easy for the given dificulty level. I started playing w/ 2.3 and noticed the lack of AI workers in that. It's my understanding that the unit stats were increased at some point and presumably the barb stats along with it.

Did you play the version with lesser unit stats? I'd love some comparative observations between 'before' and 'after'.

I am fairly certain it is the barbs that are affecting the AI. In my explorations to meet other civs, i have witnessed many many ai cities sacked by barbs. The ai just doesn't know how to deal with the strong barbs. Plus there is no combat bonus above warlord level which affects the ai as well. The barbs are predictable on the NW/SE axis but they will go after any nearby undefended worker/settler/city.

The AI spends all its time building settlers and replacement units.

I'm gonna play some test games with lesser barb stats to see if the AI does any better and post observations for discussion. I'll also play one with the PTW version to see what i can glean from that. This might take a while

EDIT: I just found the problem with workers!!! Will remove this update and replace ASAP.

EDIT: Here it is... i tried removing the airfield & radar tower action buttons and it automatically unchecked the 'terraform' AI strategy from both the workers and the colonist. Guess i need to pay more attn to automatic changes the editor makes when trying a small change.

EDIT: I'm including a separate update to the random map .biq that will not display the map place names.

 

[Richard Cribb]

This mod is truly great, but I would like to be able to play it without the Black Death.I have tried to play it three times, but everytime I get sculls in all my cities.
Could anybody please explain me in plain English (I am far from a computer whiz) how I can turn it off?

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

Open the .biq file you want to play with in the editor. You should just be able to double click the file to open it.

Scenario menu >> scenario properties >> disasters tab >> uncheck 'permit plagues'

Click 'apply' and close the edit scenario page. Save and exit.

Plagues are mostly just irritating. Remember the AI suffers from it too.

 

[Richard Cribb]

Thanks a lot watorrey. I know that the AI also is hit hard, which is also a good reason to avoid it, I feel that it is more fair that way.

 

[waTTe]

Update attached to this post.

Download and install the 2.4 (MAC) (was there ever a mac C3C?) from the first post. That is the latest version thamis has posted and includes a new terrain set

Then install this update by backing up the files it replaces and putting the files in the right folders. It's just the biqs, pedia, scripts and a notes file.

@thamis: Thanks for the confidence. I'll try not to screw it up too much. I'll also pay more attn to the other forum.

@WaTTe: It's definately too easy for the given dificulty level. I started playing w/ 2.3 and noticed the lack of AI workers in that. It's my understanding that the unit stats were increased at some point and presumably the barb stats along with it.

Did you play the version with lesser unit stats? I'd love some comparative observations between 'before' and 'after'.

I am fairly certain it is the barbs that are affecting the AI. In my explorations to meet other civs, i have witnessed many many ai cities sacked by barbs. The ai just doesn't know how to deal with the strong barbs. Plus there is no combat bonus above warlord level which affects the ai as well. The barbs are predictable on the NW/SE axis but they will go after any nearby undefended worker/settler/city.

The AI spends all its time building settlers and replacement units.

I'm gonna play some test games with lesser barb stats to see if the AI does any better and post observations for discussion. I'll also play one with the PTW version to see what i can glean from that. This might take a while

EDIT: I just found the problem with workers!!! Will remove this update and replace ASAP.

EDIT: Here it is... i tried removing the airfield & radar tower action buttons and it automatically unchecked the 'terraform' AI strategy from both the workers and the colonist. Guess i need to pay more attn to automatic changes the editor makes when trying a small change.

Great watorrey,

thanks a lot for finding that worker-bug. I´ve jsut played a "quick as I can - survival only" no barbs game just to find out the AI builded no workers again. Well now it´s solved I hope. One should also remeber this for other mods, if those effects are needed

I don´t remember too much of my early games with this mod, I think it was 2.2 but probably a rc earlier. I liked the unit stats with their focus on offense and I like them now - in fact I didn´t realise major changes

Do we only need your update above, or is the "2.4 (MAC)" updted too?
I´m somehow confused by what you told about new terrain? By the way Tam-Terrain is already fine!

I played my "quick game" on large map with the germanic tribes and i was wondering about some of the cities/tribes names. For example the Aviones a really small tribe, with nothing much known about (part of frisians?), or the Calucones, who were celtic and not germanic and early fell victim to the romans. Maybe the list should be redone - tell me if you want me to do this.

@thamis:

Sad too read, that you wont do any major changes or additions.
Thank you very much for what you have done with this mod, it gave me much fun. There a great scenarios out there, but for the mods I see this one as the best!

Maybe we should sign up to http://www.cdgroup.org/forums/tbs/c...x.php?h=1&pf=21 , if the tam-groupies are there ?

 

[thamis]

Hey, don't worry... there will be a CIV4, and there will be a CIV4 TAM.

Watorrey: If you compile a new full version I can give you FTP access where you can upload it.

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

I altered the time scale in my games to have the turns sync better with the ages. When played on Monarch the ages usually fell pretty close to reality. Maximum time for tech research is set for 40 turns.

100 turns at 50 years each brings you to 3000 BC
50 turns at 47 years each brings you to 650 BC and ~end of AA
150 turns at 4 years each brings you to 50 BC and ~end of HA
100 turns at 4 years each brings you to 350 AD and ~end of IA
100 turns at 3 years each brings you to 650 AD and ~end of MA

With good contacts and trading I could stay on track and finish each age just about when I had the last tech for the age. Isolated civs were further behind (as it should be). Fertile crescent ones often were ahead until the imperial age.

Other suggestions:
1. Make Elite Light horse the only unit that gives Macedon a golden age, not hoplite. other wise when humans play macedon, the golden age will start very very early.
2. Preference menu buttons are out of sync with the game.

I find this interesting, however the turn timing should probably be synched to regent level. It is expected that above regent, things move quicker because the AI researches faster.

I doubt anyone would agree to stop the Hoplite starting a GA. It's up to the player to manage the civ of choice as best as possible.

What preferences are out of synch with the game? I don't notice any.

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

WaTTe: You want to install the full 2.4 (MAC) and then add the update i posted. The full 2.4 version has a new terrain set that is even better than before. My update just affects a few minor things.

thamis: I'm not sure what will be considered a full version. I want to keep it true to what you have now and therefore don't forsee any major changes. Mostly cosmetic and minor bug fixes.

I figure the animated leaderheads should be offered as an optional download and i am managing the files toward that goal. It's gonna be over 100 MB... not sure how much it will compress. And that's using as many of the built in civ3 leaders that make sense to use and keeping it single era. It's gonna take a while though because it's tedious work to make sure i get all the files right.

 

[Yom]

@Watorrey: Will you make the changes I suggested earlier?

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

@Watorrey: Will you make the changes I suggested earlier?

I don't feel comfortable making a change like that to thamis' mod. Having read some past posts of his and the civilopedia entry he chose to use, it is clear (to me) he intended to emphasize the biblical Sheba.

If you wanted to put together a civilopedia description to be added to what is there, i would happily do that. It would also add to the educational aspect by pointing out more than one theory of what was what back then. Presently, Sheba is using a little over 1/2 of 2 possible civilopedia pages.

FYI: here is an ancient era pic of the same person now used as the foreign advisor i am planning to use as the animated Queen. Any thoughts?

 

[Yom]

The Biblical Queen of Sheba (Queen Makeda) was from the same state that I described in my earlier post. The government was centered in Yeha, in present-day Ethiopia, but its domain included Saaba in present-day Yemen. I don't see how this conflicts with Thamis' emphasis of the biblical Queen of Sheba.

 

[thamis]

Yom, you are not wrong, but you aren't right either. The origin of the Queen of Sheba is highly debated. Some argue that she was a queen of Ethiopia, while others argue that she was a queen of Yemen.

I chose Yemen, for the simple reason that Ethiopia isn't on the map. Also, in my mind, the argument for her to be a Yemenite makes more sense, because of the ruins found in Marib, Yemen.

 

[carlo46]

I played your mod with the new update yesterday and i find it to be very good. The edited graphics are great, especially the new reasources. I played in the large medi map with no barbs and i noticed that the coracles do not upgrade to galleies and the ports do not build veteren sea units.

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

It sounds like you may not have had lumber hooked up. Galleys require it, coracles do not.

AFAIK, there is no problem with ports. Check the biq with the editor to see if ports have the veteran sea units flag set. If it is not, let us know which download you used.