The Falklands War Mod

[Flying Pig]

This is a mod for Civ IV BTS about the Falklands War of 1982 (you can find out about it here). When complete, it will be almost a complete overhaul of the game, with new features added almost everywhere. This thread provides a guide to the causal viewer of what the mod involves.

The Mod Team

This is the current, working list for the mod team. If you want to be added to the list, PM me or post here.

Kochman
Mechaerik
The_J

Testers

People with an interest in testing the game should post or PM their interest to me. The current people who are testing and providing feedback are:

Koba the Dread
nutnut - has offered and been given the OK but no word from.


Overview

Spoiler :

• The player will be able to command either the British or the Argentine side. The British player will have to land his troops on the islands and take the cities there, while the Argentine player will have to defend his ground from the numerically small British forces.

• The scenario will work in a fairly similar way to the Desert War scenario that shipped with Vanilla; you will recieve orders and updates via in game messages.

• There will be no diplomacy since there are only two sides that are always at war.

• There will also be almost no recruitment of units

• Missiles have been changed from a gimmick into a vital weapon of war. Most ships can carry them, and they are the primary means by which ships fight at long range since escort vessels can intercept aircraft. They can be intercepted, but this is very rare.

• Blue Marble Terrain Graphics make the map look far more realistic for the part of the world

• Spies operate very differently - see the relevant section

• Religion is changed to ideology - whether a city supports the British or the Argentines. Adopting different civics will affect different ideologies differently

• No city with at least one British land unit in will ever rebel

• Many improvements, like villages and farms, now give a defensive bonus

Game Music

Spoiler :

We're always open to suggestions for game music. If you want to be really helpful, supply a link to your music for free; there's no way I'm paying Apple anything to make this mod. At present we have:

• British Grenadiers
• A Life on the Ocean Wave (the Quick March of the Royal Marines)
• Ride of the Valkyries (the Quick March of the Parachute Regiment)
• Heart of Oak (the March of the Royal Navy)
• Nimrod
• Don't Cry for Me Argentina (instrumental)
• Grenadier Guards Slow March
• Fantasia on British Sea Songs
  

Incorporated Mods

Spoiler :

This is a list of mods which have been partially or fully incorporated into the game. If your stuff is in the mod but not on the list, PM me and I'll add you or remove it as you want.

Improved Farming - Flying Pig
Skirmisher Promotion - TsenTom1
Survival Promotion - TsenTom1
Celebrity Promotion - The_J (adapted in various forms by me, for example medics)
Believer Trait - The_J (adapted, forms part of the British special ability)
No Dummy Techs in Sevopedia - The_J
Main Screen Mod (BTS) - NeverMind
Sevopedia - Sevo
Formations - The Navy SEAL
RFC (marsh terrain graphics) - Rhye (XML adapted)

Some graphics are taken from the World 1939 mod

Leaders

Spoiler :

UK: Major-General Jeremy Moore (Charismatic, Protective)



Argentina: President Leopoldo Galatieri (Aggressive, Expansive)



These two leaderheads are based on work done by Mechaerik.

Civics

Spoiler :

Via use of the tech tree and events system, civics are only availiable to certain civs.

Government Civics

Name: Military Rule
Type: Government
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: High
Effects: No War Weariness; British ideology gives +2 unhappiness

Name: Constitutional Monarchy
Type: Government
Availiable to: UK
Upkeep: High
Effects: British ideology gives +5 happiness

Name: Republic
Type: Government
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: Medium
Effects: +100% GP birth rate, 1 Free Specialist, +5 happiness with Argentine ideology, +3 research per specialist. This comes into effect via an event.

Name: State of Emergency
Type: Government
Availiable to: Argentina and UK
Upkeep: High
Effects: -100% GP birth rate, -50% War Weariness, 100 Free Units, -1 Trade Routes and No Maintainance Costs for Distance or Number of Cities


Legal Civics

Name: Military Law
Type: Legal
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: High
Effects: British ideology gives +2 unhappiness

Name: British Law
Type: Legal
Availiable to: UK
Upkeep: Low
Effects: British ideology gives +5 happiness, Argentine ideology gives -1 happiness

Name: Authoritatian Law
Type: Legal
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: Medium
Effects: -25% war weariness, +3 happiness from Argentine ideology, +1 happiness from British ideology, +5 happiness from Argentine ideology, +50% yields in the capital

Name: Liberal Law
Type: Legal
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: Low
Effects: +50% war weariness, +10% GP Birth Rate, +1 unhappiness from British ideology, +50% yields in the capital

Military Civics

Name: Mass Conscription
Type: Military
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: None
Effects: -75% Great General Emergence, +5 unhappiness from Argentine ideology, +5 unhappiness from British ideology, 10 free units

Name: Sparing Conscription
Type: Military
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: Medium
Effects: -25% Great General Emergence, +2 unhappiness from Argentine ideology, +3 unhappiness from British ideology, 5 free units

Name: Professional Military
Type: Military
Availiable to: UK and Argentina
Upkeep: High
Effects: +50% Great General Emergence

Foreign Policy Civics

Name: Isolationism
Type: Foreign Policy
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: Low
Effects: -25% War Weariness

Name: International Co-Operation
Type: Foreign Policy
Availiable to: Argentina and UK
Upkeep: Medium
Effects: +10% War Weariness, +1 Trade Routes, 1 Free Specialist

Name: Great Power
Type: Foreign Policy
Availiable to: UK
Upkeep: High
Effects: +10% GP Birth Rate, +1 Trade Routes, 1 Free Specialist

Ideology Civics

Name: Mass Censorship
Type: Ideology
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: High
Effects: -50% GP Birth Rate, +3 happiness from Argentine ideology, No spread of British ideology

Name: Limited Censorship
Type: Ideology
Availiable to: Argentina
Upkeep: Low
Effects: -10% GP Birth Rate, +2 happiness from Argentine ideology

Name: Free Speech
Type: Ideology
Availiable to: Argentina and UK
Upkeep: None
Effects: +10% GP Birth Rate, +2 happiness in 6 largest cities

New Terrain

Spoiler :

Marshes

Marsh terrain is our mechanism to make sure that battles take place where they really did - after all, despite the huge amount of flat ground on the map, the overwhelming majority of action took place in the hills. One of the big reasons for this was that rivers - and bogs - were everywhere. Marsh terrain incurs the same movement penalty as hills (this may be changed to give a tactical option - take the fast but dangerous route through the marsh or the slow, safe route over the mountains), and a -50% bonus to any poor souls unlucky enough to come under fire in it (rapid, tactical manoevering to avoid getting killed becomes nigh-on impossible). It also, most critically, damages unit who try to walk through it for too long (at a rate of 5% per turn, so long forced marches through it are almost impossible).

Units

Spoiler :

British Units

Land:
Special Air Service - The top British Special Forces unit, and the best unit in the whole game. Able to perform parachute jumps.
Special Boat Service - Not so strong as the SAS, but amphibious.
The Parachute Regiment - A solid, dependable unit, including one Warlord. Able to perform parachute jumps. There are only 2 in total.
Royal Marine Commandos - A strong amphibious unit. There are only 3 in total.
British Infantry - Medium level unit encompassing the Welsh and Scots Guards and the Royal Ghurka Rifles.
British Armour - Fast and powerful, but needs infantry for support
Royal Army Medical Corps - No combat ability, but able to heal soldiers.
Royal Engineers - An infantry unit that can construct Forts and Roads
Army Air Corps - Battle helicopters useful for recon and light fighting roles
Royal Artillery - Can either have an air defence (protects against air strikes and helicopters) or a close support (destroys fortifications and armoured vehicles) role
British Spy - Spies perform their usual role of espionage, but also spread your propaganda. See the section on espionage.
Royal Military Police - Improves public order in your cities, but can't actually protect them from the enemy.

Sea:
RFA Vessel - Very limited attack power, but can heal ships in the same tile and transport helicopters. The only sea unit that cannot carry missiles (except the Aircraft Carrier and the Landing Craft), and the only ship that cannot intercept aircraft.
Landing Craft - Carries soldiers. Not very strong in combat and needs to be escorted
British Carrier - There are two of these in the fleet. Their primary role is to carry Sea Harriers which give the British valuable air support both at sea and on the ground. Easily the most valuable two combat ships in the fleet.
Leander-Class Frigate - A very old ship designed to protect carriers against submarines, but capable of going toe-to-toe with enemy ships as well.
Rothesay-Class Frigate-The oldest ship in service with the Royal Navy at the time; it fulfils the same role as the Leander but less effectively due to its age. It is not, however, to be taken lightly.
Type 21 Frigate-A more modern area defence ship designed for general-purpose fleet escort.
Type 22 Frigate-Like the Type 21, but better designed for clashing with ships - it carries an extra missile and has more strength.
Type 42 Destroyer-Deals with submarines and aircraft very effectively, but can fight enemy warships if required to.
Type 82 Destroyer-The Black Sheep of the destroyer family - it cannot carry missiles, and is far worse at intercepting aircraft than the type 42. Luckily, there's only one of them.
Submarine-Divided into the Churchill, Oberon, Valiant and Swiftsure classes, submarines are designed to tail the enemy and take on their large ships in hit-and-run attacks with missiles.
Sea King - A helicopter (a sea unit to keep it at sea) with a massive bonus against submarines but useless against ships. It has no radar, so must work in tandem with warships who can tell it where the submarines are.

Air:
Sea Harrier - Carried on Aircraft Carriers; the role of this aircraft is to recon large areas of land or sea, clash with the enemy and provide support to troops on the ground.
Tomahawk - The British missile, able to strike from medium range at land or sea targets.


Argentina

Land:

Amphibious Commandos - The best Argentine unit, with a free amphibious promotion.
Argentine Infantry - A General-purpose infantry unit which is good for defending strategic positions
Medic - No combat ability, but able to heal soldiers.
RADAR - No combat ability or moves, but can see British submarines over a wide radius
Field Artillery-Can either have an air defence (protects against air strikes and helicopters) or a close support (destroys fortifications and armoured vehicles) role
Armoured Cars - A fast unit, useful for recon but not for heavy combat dutyBritish Spy - Spies perform their usual role of espionage, but also spread your propaganda. See the section on espionage.
Military Police - Improves public order in your cities, but can't actually protect them from the enemy.

Sea:
Submarine -Divided into the Type 209 and Balao classes, submarines are designed to tail the enemy and take on their large ships in hit-and-run attacks with missiles.Brooklyn-Class Cruiser - The biggest warship around, with a strength of 40 and a large complement of missiles. However, it cannot see submarines, but it still poses a huge threat to all British ships around the islands.
Aircraft Carrier-Carries the Mirage III into combat. Needs to be escorted or the valuable asset will be easily lost.
Type 42 Destroyer-Deals with submarines and aircraft very effectively, but can fight enemy warships if required to.
Allen M Sumner-Class Destroyer -An older, inferior US equivalent to a Type 42
Drummond-Class Corvette - The general purpose Argentine fleet escort ship

Air:
Mirage III - Carrier-borne aircraft which fulfils much the same role as the British Sea Harrier
Pucara - Ground attack aircraft which is based on land.
Exocet - A powerful missile able to strike at ships to cause massive damage but in short supply
Tomahawk - Used in ship-to-ship combat as a general weapon

Unit Categories:

Spoiler :

Name: Medics
Description: Medics don't fight, but they are essential to the army's good progress. They are the only units who can take Medic promotions.

Name: Special Forces
Description: Special Forces are elite infantry soldiers. They are invisible to everything except each other, and so are good for reconnaisance and search-and-destroy missions, but they cannot capture cities.

Name: Engineers
Description: Engineers are combat soldiers, but their real value lies in constructing roads and forts for the army to use in the field.

Name: Infantry
Description: Infantry are the sluggers, and make up the bulk of the fighting forces of both sides. They can capture and defend ground capably.

Name: Mechanised Infantry
Description: Mechanised Infantry are faster and more powerful than regular infantry, but need more supplies and can be worn down easily.

Name: Military Police
Description: Military Police stay behind the lines keeping order in your cities. They do not go out to fight the enemy.

Name: Armour
Description: Armour is strong and fast, but cannot take or hold ground effectively, so it needs infantry support.

Name: Land Helicopters
Description: Land Helicopters provide reconnaisance and some firepower, but are not suited for prolonged contact and cannot take ground.

Name: Sea Helicopters
Description: Sea Helicopters are helicopters that work as Sea Units.

Name: Spies
Description: See the section on Espionage. Spies cannot fight enemy units, but can be promoted.

Name: Emplacements
Description: Emplacements cannot move, but provide strategic value, for example the RADAR station allows the player to see hidden enemy units.

Name: Artillery
Description: Artillery can have either an air defence (protects against air strikes and helicopters) or a close support (destroys fortifications and armoured vehicles) role.

Name: Warships
Description: Engage enemy fighting ships at sea

Name: Support Ships
Description: Keep the main fleet afloat and provide transport for other units.

Name: Land-Based Aircraft
Description: Fighters and bombers who require an airfield to take off from.

Name: Carrier-Based Aircraft
Description: Fighters which can operate from Carriers or the ground.

New Promotions

Spoiler :

There are a lot of new promotions in this mod. Some are used to specialise units, others provide new, unique facets to the game. Inborn promotions are promotions which can only be given to a unit when it is created and the ones that have it at the start of the game are the only ones that will ever have it.

Name: Air Defence 1
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: Artillery
Effect: 5% chance to intercept aircraft, -50% strength, +300% against Land Helicopters

Name: Air Defence 2
Prereq: Air Defence 1
Availiable to: Artillery
Effect: 20% chance to intercept aircraft, -50% strength, +50% against Land Helicopters

Name: Air Defence 3
Prereq: Air Defence 2
Availiable to: Artillery
Effect: 25% chance to intercept aircraft, -25% strength, +25% against Land Helicopters

Name: Arctic Warfare 1
Prereq: None
Availiable to: Infantry, Special Forces and Mechanised Infantry
Effect: 10% defence in Tundra terrain

Name: Arctic Warfare 2
Prereq: Arctic Warfare 1
Availiable to: Infantry, Special Forces and Mechanised Infantry
Effect: Double movement in Tundra, 10% defence in Tundra terrain

Name: Arctic Warfare 3
Prereq: Arctic Warfare 2
Availiable to: Infantry, Special Forces and Mechanised Infantry
Effect: Double movement in Hills, 10% combat in Tundra terrain

Name: British
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: All British land units
Effect: Garrisonned city will never revolt

Name: Commando
Prereq: Light Infantry and Combat 3
Availiable to: Infantry
Effect: +1 Movement Range, can use enemy roads, 25% withdrawal chance, -50% combat against armour

Name: FIBUA
Prereq: Combat II
Availiable to: Infantry, Special Forces, Engineers
Effect: +20% city combat

Name: Field Artillery 1
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: Artillery
Effect: +25% collateral damage, +25% bombard damage, +1 First Strike, +50% Strength

Name: Field Artillery 2
Prereq: Field Artillery 1
Availiable to: Artillery
Effect: +10% collateral damage, +10% bombard damage, +1 First Strike, +50% against armour, +25% Strength

Name: Field Artillery 3
Prereq: Field Artillery 2
Availiable to: Artillery
Effect: +10% collateral damage, +10% bombard damage, +2 First Strike Chances, +25% against armour, +10% Strength

Name: Helicopter
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: Land Helicopters and Sea Helicopters
Effect: Can attack multiple times per turn; does not heal in enemy lands, heals only 20% of normal rate in neutral lands, heals extra 50% in friendly lands

Name: Infiltrator
Prereq: Combat 4
Availiable to: Engineers, Mechanised Infantry, Special Forces, Infantry, Armour
Effect: Can use enemy roads.

Name: Intelligence Gathering
Prereq: Military Intelligence Technology
Availiable to: Infantry, Engineers, Special Forces and Mechanised Infantry
Effect: After winning a battle, acquires Espionage Points.

Name: Light Infantry
Prereq: Combat 2
Availiable to: Special Forces and Infantry
Effect: Can move again after winning a battle, Can attack multiple times per turn, -50% against armour

Name: Mechanised Infantry
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: Mechanised Infantry
Effect: No combat penalty for crossing rivers, double movement in hills, +1 moves, heals at 80% of normal rate in non-friendly territory, +10% strength

Name: Medic
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: Medics
Effect: Adds health in a city

Name: Military Police
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: Military Police
Effect: Adds happiness in a city

Name: Mobile Warfare
Prereq: Combat 1, Mobile Warfare technology
Availiable to: Armour
Effect: +1 Moves

Name: RADAR Station
Prereq: Inborn
Availiable to: Emplacements
Effect: +10 Visibility Range

Name: Survivalist
Prereq: March
Availiable to: Infantry, Engineers, Special Forces and Mechanised Infantry
Effect: If defeated in combat, has a 10% chance of retreating with 10% health after any withdrawal chances.

Ideology

Spoiler :

Religion is replaced by ideology. This can be divided into British Affiliation and Argentine Affiliation. Each nation is locked in its state religion. A city with one or more of these may react differently to civics used by its government; imposing British law on a pro-British settlement will be greeted with happiness, but may provoke anger in a pro-Argentine town. There may eventually be an ideology victory condition, where you win the game if you can convince the entire islands round to your way of thinking.

The British spread their ideology just by taking ground [thanks to The_J's believer trait for this] since the islanders are naturally sympathetic to them. The Argentines need to use spies, although this might be updated. If a player can capture Stanley and spread his ideology to 80% of the islands, he wins the game This paragraph is not yet in a public version and will come in Testing Version 2

Espionage

Spoiler :

Spies are still a part of the game, but they have the additional role of being propaganda agents. If you build an Espionage Centre in one of your cities, it has a chance to spawn a spy every turn. Spies can spread your cause or try to remove that of your enemies from friendly and hostile cities, in addition to their usual role of performing disruptive activities, which are now more devastating than before because resource-based improvements cannot be re-built.

In Testing Version 1, this has not been implemented fully. You can recruit spies after you build an Espionage Centre like missionaries.

Technology

Spoiler :

Each team has its own tech tree, although they are broadly similar. These symbolise adjusting military theory and doctrines to fit the theatre, and in some cases procuring specialists and kit from higher up the chain of command. You choose to focus on specific areas and it becomes very difficult to be expert in everything - for example the British might become excellent at managing logistics, but at the expense of developing their infantry. This might mean that the Argentines, who have focused on infantry but neglected other fields, have a tactical advantage (especially since they will have more research capacity at the start of the game) until the British react by changing their tech path.

This is not yet in a public version. It will be in Testing Version 2

Previews

Spoiler :

These are out of date. I will add more later

 

[Flying Pig]

Reserved for future use

 

[civ_king]

congratz!

 

[fireclaw722]

Nice. I'd love to help with any XML and graphics changes.

 

[Flying Pig]

Nice. I'd love to help with any XML and graphics changes.

That would be very welcome - can you do weapon swaps?

By the way - offers of help are best put in this thread.

 

[kochman]

Question regarding "ideology"... can it be removed from a city as well as spread?

 

[Flying Pig]

Hopefully. I'm trying to integrate the Gods of Old inquisitor ability into the Spies, but without much luck

 

[Agent327]

You could just use the OrionVeteran's Inquisitor mod for that.

 

[Flying Pig]

No I couldn't - that's got a load of other bits added on. I can't isolate the unit itself

 

[Shiggs713]

looking good, hope you finish

 

[Flying Pig]

Thanks! Actually, we're releasing a public development version (ie; you can play it and comment on it but it isn't the finished product) in about a week when I get back off holiday

 

[kochman]

Yes, FP, look forward to my stuff coming to you on Tuesday... It will mainly be code.
How would you like me to send it to you? Just as code via PM with instructions as to where it goes? Or in the actual file it goes to, already in its proper places?

 

[Flying Pig]

I would prefer, given the choice, you to copy every file that you have modified into a replica file structure (so if you'd modded Civ4UnitInfos.xml only, you would zip up a folder called Assets\XML\Units with Civ4UnitInfos.xml inside. That way it's easier to integrate them - but as long as all the files are there I'm not fussed. Just so everyone knows, I'm away for the break (over here the schools stop for a week which means we get a welcome break) but will be back about next monday.

 

[kochman]

Civics XML...
OK, so, it looks like to even make these work, there will need to be a python to change the number of categories of civics (government, legal, etc). I think this is correct anyhow, because I couldn't find any relevant XML...
I went ahead and did the "rough" version of the civics, since I have no idea how to python...
Some notes:
1) I used 2 techs (that will have to be made later) to unluck all civics (for now at least). TECH_BRITISH_IDEOLOGY; TECH_ARGENTINE_IDEOLOGY
For civics that both sides can use, there is TECH_NONE. The idea is that one side can never research the other sides ideology, and starts with its own. We can change individual civics as required later when the tech tree is together.
2) When you put under conscription, I didn't know if you meant free units (like not paying upkeep for them), or the ability to draft (I assume this what what you meant)... so I put the number in both values, and that's an easy change.
3) None of the button art is correct.

I have made it a txt for attachment purposes.

 

[mechaerik]

Any news?

 

[Flying Pig]

Putting the first release up as I type. We need playtesting on a slightly larger scale if we're going to get anywhere.

EDIT: She's up. Check the forum.

 

[nutnut]

I'll playtest if you want, provides a nice break from a mountain of schoolwork.

 

[MrGoldfinger]

Any News?
The idea is very intersting, and I am mostly thing positive about this project, but please do not use the Eurocopter Tiger as a helicopter in the mod, more realistic would be a UH-1 Huey or Lynx. The other thing is: I miss the Super Etendard... and Mirage fighters never used on carriers... I hope somewhere have created these unitgraphics...

 

[mechaerik]

I made a Super Etendard for this mod a while back.