The Mine Warfare Mod

[CellKu]

Quick update

started over, did step 13 using only the files u posted under 13(hadn't noticed those earlier) THEN i added import MineWarfare to the beginning of the file and i have all the buttons i should have,still get the error

*BugConfig - failure parsing C:\Program Files (x86)\Firaxis\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Beyond the Sword\Mods\RevolutionDCM\Assets\Config\Mine Warfare.xml at line 13

that only happens on 1st loading of a game,if you return to main menu and start again,the error doesn't come,i assume cause its not trying to load the file again

seems to be playing fine but i'm sure i will get deep into a nice game and poof desktop appears

I got the very same message when I tried it today (and same experience with reloading the 4000 BC file etc.). What are the consequences?
Actually, I could see the Mine Warfare Tech (with the mines etc.) when I opened the Tech Screen.
@St1nky: Have you already reached the mine warfare tech in your game? Were you able you use them?

 

[OrionVeteran]

I got the very same message when I tried it today (and same experience with reloading the 4000 BC file etc.). What are the consequences?
Actually, I could see the Mine Warfare Tech (with the mines etc.) when I opened the Tech Screen.
@St1nky: Have you already reached the mine warfare tech in your game? Were you able you use them?

I'm working on a better way to register the submods. This error goes away under the new process.

 

[CellKu]

Thanks! I appreciate your work!

 

[St1nky]

CellKu:
@St1nky: Have you already reached the mine warfare tech in your game? Were you able you use them?


i sort of gave up trying,seemed errors would cause issues eventually,wasting time playing dead games

 

[Kevindm]

umm...i got bts, what file should i put this in?? Assests?.....

 

[Kinich-Ahau]

Whenever I try to play this mod, for some reason only the map will show during the game, I can select units, but I can't move them, build cities, or give them any other commands. Also, I can't check the civilopedia or any of the advisor screens, or research new technologies. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, do you know how to fix it?

 

[Kinich-Ahau]

Whenever I try to play this mod, for some reason only the map will show during the game, I can select units, but I can't move them, build cities, or give them any other commands. Also, I can't check the civilopedia or any of the advisor screens, or research new technologies. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, do you know how to fix it?

Never mind, I was able to figure out the problem and fix it myself.

 

[Bataknese]

I have a merged mod by my self.
i got a CTD whenever the mines are available. it seems like a python error. but i have a hard time to track down where's the error might be.
i have reproduce the CTD anyway. it will occured when an AI city has finished to produce land mine.

what should i do?

 

[OrionVeteran]

I have a merged mod by my self.
i got a CTD whenever the mines are available. it seems like a python error. but i have a hard time to track down where's the error might be.
i have reproduce the CTD anyway. it will occured when an AI city has finished to produce land mine.

what should i do?

Turn on error checking to discover exactly where your python error is located.

 

[Bataknese]

Hi OV,

i managed to fixed it. since i like to merging several mods, i guess it interfered with the other. so i have to delete some 'suspected' code
btw, i've played MP and i found OOS in this mod. is this not compatible in MP?

 

[berkut]

I guess one alternative to this mod is to modify the pioneer tank so it creates a feature "land mine" that does damage over time.

 

[OrionVeteran]

Hi OV,

i managed to fixed it. since i like to merging several mods, i guess it interfered with the other. so i have to delete some 'suspected' code
btw, i've played MP and i found OOS in this mod. is this not compatible in MP?

The Mine Warfare mod has never been tested in MP. But before you conclude the Out of Synch (OOS) error is caused by the mod, you might want to flush the cache and check out all of the other posts on the forums concerning MP OOS errors.

 

[Eagle_eye]

Am I the only person not experiencing horrible errors when they merge this mod?

 

[OrionVeteran]

Am I the only person not experiencing horrible errors when they merge this mod?

The only problem I have encountered with Mine Warfare is a performance hit from the callbacks. But, the mod still runs, just slower. Many problems can crop up when merging mods. For example, StategyOnly has been experiencing problems when he tries to merge the Agriculture mod. All testing proves the Agriculture mod works with clean mods that don't have errors, even with the base mod, ROM, that StategyOnly uses. Yet, the Agriculture mod fails to work with StategyOnly's huge mod. Conclusion: There must be existing errors or incompatibilities in StategyOnly's mod that prevents the Agriculture mod from working, as it normally would. Once fixed, the Agriculture mod will work. We have seen similar errors in other mods and the same hold true: Once the errors are fixed, the mod starts to work. You must have done a good job merging the mod and have no errors to conflict with Mine Warfare. Congrats!

 

[berkut]

How hard would be to merge that with RevolutionDCM?

 

[OrionVeteran]

How hard would be to merge that with RevolutionDCM?

no more time than it would take to merge with ROM.

 

[berkut]

Oh, sorry you posted a tutorial about that.

 

[Chovus]

I tried out this mod recently for the purpose of incorporation mines into my personal mod. Compared to the simplistic ideas I had for mines, this mod has very impressive coding, though I have a few observations and concerns.

1. The mines are completely invisible (like spies) but they have special invisible categories (like submarines), yet the mine sweeper units have corresponding see invisibles that are useless because of the spy-like invisible status. I would give mines submarine invisibility and allow them to be seen by any unit that can see subs (which would include the mine sweepers).

2. If the mines can be made visible, they can be directly attacked, which would prevent mine sweepers from entering the tile and doing the remove mine mission. But to solve that, I would give sweepers a huge attack bonus vs. mines. However, an unarmed mine would fight just as well as an armed mine. So either mines would have to be weak in direct combat, or an armed mine be made stronger than an unarmed. I tried removing mine invisibility from this mod, and the mines are quite deadly in direct combat.

3. I think the mines have too many moves. The naval mines are not too bad, being comparable to other ships, but the land mines should only have 1 or at most 2 moves.

4. I question the balance of having persistent mine fields. A single persistent mine field could hold off an infinite number of units per turn if there is no sweeper present. Realistically, a mine field only has so many mines and they would not be able to be replenished (without future nanotechnology) while enemy units are nearby. In game terms, mine fields are similar in concept to guided missiles. It is easy enough to replace used mines with new ones, or have replacements already in place behind or on the same tile. Having only 1 use mine fields is more interesting strategically than making a simple wall of persistent mine fields. Persistent mind fields would make a cool future unit though.

5. Spies. Though I have not witnessed this in game, I read the above posts. Spies should have a fairly good chance of avoiding mine fields or be completely immune. Your own units can move through mine fields, so it is only logical to assume a spy would try to blend in with your own units and citizens.

6. Nuclear mines are an interesting concept, but they have problems. You don't need the manhatten project to build them, and the UN nuclear non-proliferation treaty does not prevent them from being built. The nuclear explosion is much more powerful than that of an ICBM or tactical nuke, both of which do not destroy every unit on the tile. Until these issues are fixed, I think nuclear mines are far too overpowered.

-Chovus

 

[OrionVeteran]

-Chovus

Chovis,

I'm very busy at the moment, but I will address each of your comments in time. You need to know that Mine Warfare is in the process of getting a major upgrade.

 

[OrionVeteran]

I tried out this mod recently for the purpose of incorporation mines into my personal mod. Compared to the simplistic ideas I had for mines, this mod has very impressive coding, though I have a few observations and concerns.

1. The mines are completely invisible (like spies) but they have special invisible categories (like submarines), yet the mine sweeper units have corresponding see invisibles that are useless because of the spy-like invisible status. I would give mines submarine invisibility and allow them to be seen by any unit that can see subs (which would include the mine sweepers).

The code for the deployment of mines has been tweaked to perfection and the invisibility feature of mines make them a very effective area denial weapon. The problem with visibility is not with mines, but rather with mine sweepers. If a mine sweeper is visible, it becomes a huge priority target. However, if a mine sweeper is invisible, then the mission of finding and removing enemy mines becomes far easier and more effective. So with the new pending update, Mine Sweepers participate in an invisible war against enemy mines.

2. If the mines can be made visible, they can be directly attacked, which would prevent mine sweepers from entering the tile and doing the remove mine mission. But to solve that, I would give sweepers a huge attack bonus vs. mines. However, an unarmed mine would fight just as well as an armed mine. So either mines would have to be weak in direct combat, or an armed mine be made stronger than an unarmed. I tried removing mine invisibility from this mod, and the mines are quite deadly in direct combat.

If you knew there was a mine directly in your path, would you risk your ship and crew by allowing your ship to contact the mine and set off a detonation? No! You would take action to avoid the mine and go around it and that is exactly what the AI did in testing. Invisibility provides mine warfare with the element of surprise, which results in multiple detonations against unsuspecting ships and land units.

3. I think the mines have too many moves. The naval mines are not too bad, being comparable to other ships, but the land mines should only have 1 or at most 2 moves.

The complexity of the code used for AI mine placement dictated just how far the range had to be for mines both land and sea. Suffice to say the range allowed the dispersion of mines over a wide area and avoid the undesirable effect of filling every square in close proximity to the source city.

4. I question the balance of having persistent mine fields. A single persistent mine field could hold off an infinite number of units per turn if there is no sweeper present. Realistically, a mine field only has so many mines and they would not be able to be replenished (without future nanotechnology) while enemy units are nearby. In game terms, mine fields are similar in concept to guided missiles. It is easy enough to replace used mines with new ones, or have replacements already in place behind or on the same tile. Having only 1 use mine fields is more interesting strategically than making a simple wall of persistent mine fields. Persistent mind fields would make a cool future unit though.

The world today still has persistent mines left over from previous conflicts, which continue to kill or maim over 4000 people yearly. However, I have created two promotions to simulate mine field dissipation. When 3 or more qualified units are attacked by a mine field, a dissipation promotion is given to the mine field. On the 3rd qualifying event, the mine field will be used up, when it detonates. So now a mine field can be eliminated by a qualifying number of enemy units desttroyed or by a mine sweeper. The effect is that a mine field remains persistent, but not permanently.

5. Spies. Though I have not witnessed this in game, I read the above posts. Spies should have a fairly good chance of avoiding mine fields or be completely immune. Your own units can move through mine fields, so it is only logical to assume a spy would try to blend in with your own units and citizens.

One of the biggest complaints about spies has been the inability to prevent the unauthorized entry of a spy into enemy territory. They have unrestricted access! Mine Warfare provides a counter to unauthorized border crossings by enemy spies. Spies are destroyed if they enter a plot with a mine. Mines can't be armed in a city, so it is possible to get one through on occasion.

6. Nuclear mines are an interesting concept, but they have problems. You don't need the manhatten project to build them, and the UN nuclear non-proliferation treaty does not prevent them from being built. The nuclear explosion is much more powerful than that of an ICBM or tactical nuke, both of which do not destroy every unit on the tile. Until these issues are fixed, I think nuclear mines are far too overpowered.

Good point! I have added the Manhatten project as a prerequisite for building a nuclear mine. I don't believe a non-proliferation treaty should prevent a rogue Civ from producing a nuclear mine. Just look at Iran. Have they complied with the world's desire to prevent their development of a nuclear plant? No! Iran has thumbed its nose at all attempts to stop their development efforts. Have you ever read about the nuclear detonation at Bikini Atol? The 15 megaton blast left a crater a mile wide and 250 feet deep! No ship is going to survive that kind of destructive power. So it is not unrealistic to expect every unit on the plot to be destroyed by a nuclear mine detonation.

Status: The next release of this mod is now in test phase.