Modding Overview:
As you probably know, there will be 4 levels of modding in Civ4:
World Builder: This is the equivalent of the map editor in Civ3, but much more powerful. Here you can create custom maps and basic scenarios. You can edit terrain, place cities and units, and much more. The world builder will ship with the game.
XML: This is roughly equivalent to the rules editor in Civ3. This is where you can add units and improvements, edit the civilizations, and tweak just about every value in the game. XML can be written in notepad or an XML editor. XML is similar in appearance to HTML, and is fairly simple to learn once you understand the basic concepts. A great XML tutorial can be found at
w3schools.com
Python: Python is a programming language that is used in Civ4 for the game interface, map generation, scripting events, and more. Gingerbread Man is building an
excellent Python tutorial focused on Civ4. Several lessons are already available. Python can also be written in notepad. The Python Integrated Development Environment (IDLE), which allows you to run Python files, can be downloaded for free at
www.python.org.
SDK: The Software Development Kit is where the hard-core modding will be done. Everything but the graphics engine and the core Civ engine will be available to modders. Programming will be done in C++. The SDK will not be available until early 2006.
Graphics: In addition to these forms of modding, there will also be a demand for graphics. Units, icons, and the user interface will all require new graphics as new mods and scenarios appear. Depending on what graphics are involved, they may require XML, Python, or even the SDK in order to be incorporated into the game.
Creating a mod
Once you find something you want to change, you can make a mod for it. When you create a mod, no matter how small, create a new folder for it inside the Civilization 4\Mods folder with the name of your mod. DO NOT overwrite the original files with your own. If you are making a lot of small changes to the game to fit your own preferences, you will probably want to play this mod every time, instead of the standard game.
Fortunately for you, you can tell Civ4 to run a certain mod every time it loads. There are a few ways to do this. The first is the Custom Assets folder. You can store files in here that you want to override (not onerwrite) the original files every time the game loads. When Civ4 loads, it first takes these files, then follows the designated file path. The Custom Assets folder is a good place for small changes such as textures and text that you want to use for all games.
If are creating a specific mod that you want to load automatically when Civ4 runs, you can direct the game to it from the main configuration file. In _Civ4Config.ini, in the main Civ4 folder, there is a line "Mod = 0". By setting this to a specific folder, such as "Mods\MyMod", you can make Civ4 load a certain mod automatically.
It is not necessary to copy all files into your mod folder- only those that you have changed from the originals. Like Civ3's scenario search folders function, Civ4 will look first in Custom Assets and take any files it finds. It then moves on the to the specified mod, if any, and takes whatever files
that it doesn't already have, before getting all remaining files from the main folder setup.
CLEAR YOUR CACHE!!!!!11!!!1!!!1!1!11one1!!!
If your mod is not loading properly, (ie, the game says it loaded but nothing changes), you may need to clear your cache. Civ4 saves a lot of files in a cache folder and uses them instead of reloading the files, so sometimes changes don't appear as they should. Go to C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\My Games\Civilization 4, show hidden files and folders, and delete the cache folder. You may need to do this periodically as you make changes.
Mod Structure
The Assets folder, which contains all files necessary for a complete mod, contains a massive 559 folders, and over 10,000 files. Fortunately for you, you don't have to duplicate it. Unlike Civ3, when you had to create the folder setup to mirror the original, Civ4 does this for you. When you run the game using a mod, it automatically creates a full folder setup in the mod folder. As you add more files to your mod, simply place them in the same sub-folder that the original was in. The basic unpacked* structure looks like this:
*If your Civilzation 4\Assets folder DOES NOT contain these subfolders, you will need to decompress the file art0.fpk with the
PakBuild utility from Firaxis. art0.fpk is a huge compressed file similar to a RAR archive that contains most of the files and folders from Assets.
After you unpack the file, move art0.fpk to a different location or rename it. This is because Civ4 will look for this file before looking in the Assets folder. If you do not move or rename the file, Civ4 will continue to load the default files within the package.
Basic guidelines
As with all modding (or anything in life for that matter), there a few guidelines to follow:
Back up your work. Before you start messing with anything, save a copy of the original (or the latest version of your own work, for that matter) in a place where it won't get deleted, overwritten, lost, or eaten. The only way to recover the original is to reinstall the game. And trust me, your hard drive doesn't want that. And whatever you do, don't come begging for somebody to send you an original file. It's called piracy. And Chieftess
will eat you alive. You think I'm kidding, don't you?
Use the Mod folder setup. In other words,
DO NOT replace the original files with your own work. First of all, if you did something wrong you might have to reinstall to fix it. Secondly, you may want to play the game as it originally was, instead of your modded version. And thirdly, you won't get any sympathy when you complain about your game being messed up.
The Mod folders work the same way as they did for Civ3- just put whatever files your mod or scenario needs into its own folder, copying the setup of the main folder structure. For example, if you create a new XML file, put it in Mods\MyModName\Assets\XML\
Ask questions. If you don't know how to do something, or want to learn more, don't be afraid to ask. We're all learning this together (except for those beta-testers
) OTOH, some of us have been modding Civ3 for a while, and some of the same concepts will carry over. We're happy to help new modders, because that means (a) more people to help us make our mods and (b) more mods for us to play.
No, seriously, we help because we enjoy modding and want other people to enjot it as well. So jump right in and start learning!
Have fun. This is the most important thing to remember. It's a game. It's meant to be enjoyed. You can gain a lot of computer-related skills by modding, but that's just a bonus. The real benefit is doing something you enjoy, seeing the product of your hard work and dedication, and working with some really cool people along the way. That's what C&C is all about.
I never thought about that before. I assume that since the world builder will be an integral part of the game this time (you can even use it during a game to change things while you play), it would be part of the game itself, and would fall under the "everything but the graphics engine and the core civ engine" category. So I would say most likely yes, with the SDK.
