These Fractured States of America

[cripp7]

this hasn't been active for a months, as anything been updated?

 

[twansalem]

I played through this as Lincoln, winning a domination victory just before the turn of the century. In general it was a lot of fun. If anyone starts working on this again, I have a few comments from playing through a complete game.

1. Culture. From reading through some of the earlier posts, it sounds like you have a few ambitious ideas for dealing with culture and borders. I'm intrigued. The notes claim that all culture has been removed from the game, but I thought I'd just point out that a few buildings still allow you to assign artists, such as the circus, the opera house, and Shakespeare's Theatre. There may be a few others. I'm not sure what tech allows it, but by the end of the game it also allows you to build culture.

2. The Tech Tree. A lot of techs are empty now, but I assume that you're planning on adding some more units, buildings, etc. which are unlocked with those techs. I have no problems with that. My suggestion is that you need to increase the beakers required for all techs. It needs to be doubled, maybe more, as you can breeze through the tech tree pretty quickly. I think the tech tree is big enough, it just needs to take longer to research each tech.

3. Machine Guns. Machine Guns being available at railroad just doesn't work for this mod. Machine Guns come way too early. All you have to attack them with are riflemen and grenadiers, which of course get owned by machine guns. You can't effectively wage war until you get artillery and infantry. My suggestion would be to make machine guns available with some tech that is closer to where infantry come into play. It would allow wars to be fought with rifles and cannons, which should be possible since this is sort of an alternate Civil War scenario.

4. Catholic churches. I can't build them. I start with one in New York, but when I spread Catholicism to other cities, I can't build a Catholic church. The churches of all other religions can be built, but no Catholic churches. Is this intentional (and if it is, why), or is this a glitch?

5. Selecting Unit Problems. There is a really strange glitch that starts occurring later in the game. Sometimes a unit (always a damaged unit, for some reason) is somehow locked up. You can't see other units on the tile, and you can't select other units on that tile with the mouse. Once this happens to the unit, it seems to be screwed up for good. The only solution is to cycle through the units on the tile with the "," or "." key and delete the unit.

6. Water Tiles. Water tiles currently cannot be worked.

7. The Foreign Advisor Screen. It worked early in the game, but sometime late game, it just stopped working.

8. Victory Conditions. Conquest or Domination is certainly a possibility for either the Union or the Confederates, and maybe even for Canada. But it seems that some other victory conditions are needed if you want to be able to win as any other civ (or at least if you want to be able to win at your normal difficulty level).


I don't want to sound too critical, because this really is a great mod/scenario. I really enjoyed it, and just thought I'd give my thoughts on some things that I'd like to see fixed, improved or change. I hope someone starts working on it again, because it would be a shame for this to not be completed.

For some odd reason I really took pleasure in being able to annihilate Oregon.

 

[Miguel Blackmore]

I played this modification. It's very sad that you stopped working on it. The idea is simply amazing! You have used so many interesting ideas that could be developed. Basically, of course this applies to technology. The very historical era is also very interesting, it would be possible to make it more colorful at the expense of units of the Wild West. Although there are many flaws, but mostly it's a great modification. Once the truth of the game gave a critical error when I tried to build a dirigible, probably should have used a balloon instead.

 

[OzzyKP]

I played this modification. It's very sad that you stopped working on it. The idea is simply amazing! You have used so many interesting ideas that could be developed. Basically, of course this applies to technology. The very historical era is also very interesting, it would be possible to make it more colorful at the expense of units of the Wild West. Although there are many flaws, but mostly it's a great modification. Once the truth of the game gave a critical error when I tried to build a dirigible, probably should have used a balloon instead.

Wow, I’m so glad to see there is still interest out there for this old thing. I was just thinking about it today and was surprised to see a new post here.

I might take a look at it again, but I remember hitting a wall with the crashes, and I hadn’t even attempted implementing my more advanced ideas.

 

[Miguel Blackmore]

Wow, I’m so glad to see there I’d still interest out there for this old thing. I was just thinking about it today and was surprised to see a new post here.

I might take a look at it again, but I remember hitting a wall with the crashes, and I hadn’t even attempted implementing my more advanced ideas.

And what actually happened, why did you stop working on this modification? What problems did you face while working on it?

 

[OzzyKP]

And what actually happened, why did you stop working on this modification? What problems did you face while working on it?

It has obviously been a while so I don’t remember specifically, but it kept crashing and I couldn’t figure out why. I don’t really know much about coding, but it was especially frustrating that all I had changed so far we’re pretty basic things like units and techs and still couldn’t figure out how to make a stable version. Getting to the point of adding all the cool features I wanted for this seemed completely out of reach until I found some partners who actually knew something about making mods (unlike me).

I’m willing to take another crack at it, but my already meager coding skills certainly haven’t improved in the last 10 years.

 

[Miguel Blackmore]

It has obviously been a while so I don’t remember specifically, but it kept crashing and I couldn’t figure out why. I don’t really know much about coding, but it was especially frustrating that all I had changed so far we’re pretty basic things like units and techs and still couldn’t figure out how to make a stable version. Getting to the point of adding all the cool features I wanted for this seemed completely out of reach until I found some partners who actually knew something about making mods (unlike me).

I’m willing to take another crack at it, but my already meager coding skills certainly haven’t improved in the last 10 years.

Understand you. I know even less about coding, it's more difficult for me than Japanese language. That to units I think you can ask the people who put the units in the appropriate forum. As I understand it, you only need to replace a unit in the game folder and register in XML for a replacement, but I imagine the process. I think to insert quotes in technology should be easier, but what effect will render one or the other technology, then I think coding is more difficult, but you've done a lot of interesting technologies in the technology tree, I think for you it's not such a big problem. Plus you added new buildings, probably with them the same story as with units. I just think it would be possible to Refine the existing material and technological tree to expand to the era of the 20s.

 

[OzzyKP]

Ok, so this is interesting. I just loaded some version .12 test games and while it crashed on like turn 2-3 on my map I was able to play through till the timer ran out twice on a random pangea map. That is extremely encouraging. Maybe it isn't as broken as I thought! Woo-hoo!

 

[Miguel Blackmore]

Ok, so this is interesting. I just loaded some version .12 test games and while it crashed on like turn 2-3 on my map I was able to play through till the timer ran out twice on a random pangea map. That is extremely encouraging. Maybe it isn't as broken as I thought! Woo-hoo!

I played on the map Continents and played more than 300 turns. Stopped for the year 1905 and it worked. Perhaps crashes are connected with certain actions, as I have when I built the airship

 

[Drakarska]

There is still quite a few Modders active on these boards Bro. Maybe give a SOS shout out and see who'd be willing to help you out.
Sword of Geddon, Keldath, 45 deg and the RAND crew, maybe C2C members, or even RI team.
You have a really great concept here, it'd be a shame to let it languish for another decade or so :O
I'd also be willing to assist with the history and tech if your interested.

 

[OzzyKP]

Thanks for the offer of help!

I’ve started work on v.13! I’m finding lots of interesting mod comps to use and some more art files.

 

[OzzyKP]

Once the truth of the game gave a critical error when I tried to build a dirigible, probably should have used a balloon instead.

Are you able to reproduce this bug? Can you send me a save? I just built some airships in a test game and didn’t get a crash.

 

[keldath]

glad to see another mod being maintained , keep it up.
if you need some help let me know.

 

[Miguel Blackmore]

Are you able to reproduce this bug? Can you send me a save? I just built some airships in a test game and didn’t get a crash.

It's just great news that you've decided to continue working on the modification. I join other guys if you need help with information about technologies, units, buildings and other things I will gladly help (I'm writing a book about the Wild West, so I studied a huge amount of historical and technological literature about this period). I can look for some quotes for technology or something like that. I had one thought about the barbarians in this mod, but it's a bit complicated, probably better to postpone. So here is save, perhaps this will help airship I tried to build for Apache. I hope I was not mistaken, because I forgot what folder are the save. Only found auto-save. And yes this saving is done in a Hot Seat

 

[OzzyKP]

glad to see another mod being maintained , keep it up.
if you need some help let me know.

Thanks for the support and the offer to help! I’m sure I’ll need it, especially from someone who is more comfortable with the coding side of things. If you see the op you’ll see I have some pretty ambitious ideas for features. Do you you have recommendations for mods to use that will accomplish the immigration, mongol camp, fixed culture and diplomacy systems I want?

I think the easiest way to do the foreign affairs thing is to replace espionage. Then there is one pool of points that can be assigned to different nations. Not sure if I can do that without having China, England, France, etc cities on the map though.

I’d also love to see some kind of election system for civs that replaces their leaders every four years. New leaderheads,new traits, etc.

 

[Drakarska]

Off the top of my head ( and it's been a loonngggg time since I've looked at the code);
Immigration; Check the Global_Defines Random_Events area for the Immigration. I believe there is a set criteria for that event, and you could probably use that as a jumping off point.
Mongol Camp; Not sure I know what you meant by this.
Fixed Culture; This would be in the Culture area of the code. Additionally, if you check the Mod Comps section, I believe there is a base line code already established.
Diplo; This one may be a toughy for you, depending on how you want it to work. There is an Advanced Diplo 2 Mod Comp that may start you on what you want. Or, alternatively, PM 45 Deg or Thunderbird, as they may have some insights as to more specifics.
Election System; This one I would have no idea. The premise is definitely interesting though.
The Extra Fluff; . Plenty of artwork already on these boards, or you could create your own with the available tools already.

Lol, just my input. Others may have more detailed info for you on where to start.

 

[OzzyKP]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I’ve got a specific question about unit graphics. The female Mormon missionary unit in Caveman 2 Cosmos is awesome, but I can’t figure out how to add it. The unit has a .dds file, not a .nif, and I can’t find the xml for it in the unit art file. How do I add it?

 

[Miguel Blackmore]

I’d also love to see some kind of election system for civs that replaces their leaders every four years. New leaderheads,new traits, etc.

Interesting idea. Maybe you should look at the mechanics of the Rye's and Fall? There, depending on what is happening (civs, colonies, and religion) is changing the name of your civilization. Perhaps this mechanics can be remade, what would change the leader of the nation?

 

[OzzyKP]

Interesting idea. Maybe you should look at the mechanics of the Rye's and Fall? There, depending on what is happening (civs, colonies, and religion) is changing the name of your civilization. Perhaps this mechanics can be remade, what would change the leader of the nation?

Yea, I definitely have Rhye's & Fall in mind. Also, in the Orbis modmod for Fall from Heaven there is an event that triggers if you are a Republic that gives you new leader traits. You get to pick between two options, but I'd rather take it out of the player's control. Losing some degree of control will be a downside to selecting democratic forms of government (to offset their many advantages).

If a civ has a particular civic (republic, democracy, etc) then there would be a scripted leader change every 4 years. I've seen some mods with negative leader traits, I'd like to use those as well. Plus, I'd like to have assassinations be possible which could also trigger a leader change. During this period President Lincoln, Garfield, & McKinley were all assassinated in office.

 

[Miguel Blackmore]

Yea, I definitely have Rhye's & Fall in mind. Also, in the Orbis modmod for Fall from Heaven there is an event that triggers if you are a Republic that gives you new leader traits. You get to pick between two options, but I'd rather take it out of the player's control. Losing some degree of control will be a downside to selecting democratic forms of government (to offset their many advantages).

If a civ has a particular civic (republic, democracy, etc) then there would be a scripted leader change every 4 years. I've seen some mods with negative leader traits, I'd like to use those as well. Plus, I'd like to have assassinations be possible which could also trigger a leader change. During this period President Lincoln, Garfield, & McKinley were all assassinated in office.

It sounds very interesting, although I have not played in the Fall from Heaven, despite the fact that I usually play two mods at the same time. As for the murder, you have to admit it can't just happen. This may be caused by the actions of spies such as the new ability to kill the leader or example, if the state a lot of unhappy leader can kill in the revolution.