Throne room/Palace mod

[rothn]

This mod will add a throne room/palace that is upgradeable and works like the other Civ versions. This mod, however, will also give useful, practical bonuses such as extra unit movements with a larger palace. There can be more staff in a larger palace. Therefore, there can also be more organization. Please post here if you have ideas or suggestions or if you want to join the mod team. Please, feel free to post here even if your new. This is my first mod, so I will need all the help I can get.

 

[rothn]

Anybody can post, no matter how lame their idea is.

 

[Dom Pedro II]

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news.... but you really can't do this. While the SDK gives a lot of freedom in terms of game mechanics, it doesn't permit the addition of new graphical elements such as throne rooms or the much coveted tactical display for multi-unit combat like in say CtP2. It's clear though from looking at the source code that some kind of throne room was at least in the preliminary stages of development but was left unfinished either because the production team decided against it or they simply ran out of time. If it's the latter, than they might add it in the upcoming BtS expansion pack.

If they don't, however, the only way you'll be able to add a throne room would be if you made it using 2D still pictures or video files. One of the nice things about the DDS files is that they can be layered and transparencies can be used... so you could have one or more background images that would then be layered with the throne, tapestries, court subjects.. whatever you want. But it would have to be still images. Or you'd have to have pre-done videos and have one for every combination of throne improvements, but it would not be interactive.

Personally I don't think the still image idea is bad. I mean, that's essentially what you had in Civ1, 2, and 3 with the palace/throne room.

 

[troyDoogle7]

I think its a great idea..... Perhaps having an award when you reach a certain milestone a la smac: eg first battle won... first air unit etc.

There is a way to do it, based on some of the mods that I have seen might just be complicated!

 

[rothn]

I plan on using a dds file.

the mod will have a base image, and every time it is unlocked by doing a good thing for your Civ you will be allowed to click on it once to add an item. When you have enough items to unlock a benefit, a wonder video will be shown about the completed section of your palace, and the computer will treat it like a wonder and add benefits. For each Civ you conquer a new style of architecture will be avaliable for you to use.

 

[rothn]

TroyDoogle7's idea is a good one; if anybody has more suggestions like this one, they should feel free to comment.

 

[[NWO]_Valis]

Do you have some kind of a project forum for your mod? Also a source versioning system? SVN, CVS? [sourceforge, google code?]

I would love to implement this into my mod someday. I could also help but I am a newbee in moding this game.

The idea is great. How could they not implement it in Civ IV. That is the only thing I miss here [the rest was provided by FfH2 mod ]

 

[troyDoogle7]

if you need help setting up google code, I can show you its really easy...

Perhaps if you start with something simpler(read non-clickable) and then make it clickable afterwards.. There are some that said in another thread, perhaps using it as a civ wide promotion....ie certain improvements will give better benefits to your civ... Ie having a palace chapel, could help with religion.....

I still like the awards thing, perhaps that will come later...

 

[T.A JONES]

THis is great idea but lil late No?

Im sure more would reply if BtS wasn't on the way with its professionaly programed throne room or build own crib reward system.(whatever one they decide)
- smart to include both but don't count on it. thats to much work for what they get from you wallet

 

[Dom Pedro II]

Im sure more would reply if BtS wasn't on the way with its professionaly programed throne room or build own crib reward system.(whatever one they decide)

I had not read that they were going with either... where was this? If that's true, then I'd agree, but I haven't heard that they were going to finish the throne room they obviously started.

 

[T.A JONES]

I had not read that they were going with either... where was this? If that's true, then I'd agree, but I haven't heard that they were going to finish the throne room they obviously started.

All this talk about it being the biggest X pak yet and then go with no throne room when they had already invested in a version that looks culturly flavoured and ready to go for Warlords?

Nah ya gotta believe they let it laspse over to refine further for BtS.

 

[[NWO]_Valis]

if you need help setting up google code, I can show you its really easy...

I have one running already and wanted to make a proposition to take this project as a sub project of our own if rothn does not have his own plans.

Is there a thread about BtS planed changes on the forum somewere? I mean a more offitial one than pure speculations.

 

[3141592]

All this talk about it being the biggest X pak yet and then go with no throne room when they had already invested in a version that looks culturly flavoured and ready to go for Warlords?

Nah ya gotta believe they let it laspse over to refine further for BtS.

\

I doubt it, if they were going to put the throne room in they would have mentioned it in the previews.
It probably came down to the decision to improve the unit, and terrain, and city graphics, or add a completely new (for civ IV) feature. I think they're spending their time the right way.

P.S. Good luck with the mod rothn, I really hope you manage to find some way to get it to work.

 

[T.A JONES]

\

I doubt it, if they were going to put the throne room in they would have mentioned it in the previews.
It probably came down to the decision to improve the unit, and terrain, and city graphics, or add a completely new (for civ IV) feature. I think they're spending their time the right way.

MCultural themed thrones and castles would kick ass. THe castle part worked in CIv3 but a upgrade of that would be sweeter. Imagine having the upgraded Pimp by crib option with a icon to click where now your Seeing the way differant cultures floss the throne! THis would be spectacular!.

THis kind of eye candy is good/ It can't get in the way of performance because its not connected to the gameboard. Images like fancy bannanas, clouds , wavy seas and swaying trees are multiplyed the larger the map you choose so to slow down a game thta dosn't need any help in that dept already.....


I always felt the game should have moved with more varity then made us wonder with strange changes that do nothing but wrong like religion and vassel.

hopin you can mod cultural diversity into this project rothn. Show the company how easy it was and If they don't release their own version you'll will be a star.

Not sure what to say about Fireaxis if this skip out on the job but they better have something good in corporations this time to show for it

 

[troyDoogle7]

There is no throne room in BTS......

There is legacy code in Civ which was put in however it was left to way side, for budget/time savings.

Hence this mod is really important and should be started.

 

[rothn]

We need a dedicated leader. The person with the highest rank who applies wins the position.

also, we need

• C programmers
• somebody to tell the C programmers what to do
• XML programmers
• somebody to tell the XML programmers what to do
• dds designers
• somebody to tell the dds designers what to do
• somebody to enter in each palace add-on as a wonder
• somebody to tell the wonder designers what to do
• somebody to compile all of the code together

 

[Jeckel]

I don't think this should require any sdk work. A Throne room would just be another game screen like the military/domestic advisors or the civlopedia screens.

The amount of things you can do with civ screens is huge and offers a lot of potential.

Thinking in simplilest terms you could use a basic picture of a throne room as the background image of your screen. Then based on certain criteria you could place various other images of objects onto the screen.

For example if you killed 1,000 units a throne of skulls could be added to the room or if you have 1,000,000 gold a chest of treasure is displayed. It really wouldn't be that much work then to make another screen that allowed you to pick wich items to add to the room.

Screens are acually pretty easy to work with in civ, but it does require some understanding of widgets and gui creation.

I have added several new screens to some of my personal mods and would be happy to help others get new screens working, so don't be afraid to ask any questions.

This would be a great addition to the game and one I've been hopeing from from the beginning.

 

[Gaius Octavius]

Hey! Jeckel's back!

A throne room mod for civ is sorely needed. I hope there will be one in BtS, but even so it would still be conspicuously absent from Vanilla and Warlords, the only Civ so far in the series not to have it. The designers really fumbled this one.

I actually saw some art for a Mesoamerican room a while back. I'm not sure, but maybe it's already included in the Civ 4 Pakked art files.

 

[T.A JONES]

I actually saw some art for a Mesoamerican room a while back. I'm not sure, but maybe it's already included in the Civ 4 Pakked art files.

Ya I saw it to, look good. Would looked cool if it was a add on to the custom palce where both are culturally flavoured into at least 5 distinct groups sorta like Civ3.

Image Economic awards were handed in the shape of palace upgrades or improvements you can build on for added benifit! Then your war victorys would show you plunder stacked up in the throne room.

Imagine exotic animals on the walls or cultural statues youve ripped off a 'CAPITAL'/Palace' and set down by your custum swimmg pool. Various slaves up in your crib slavin about. Sweet!! this could real eyecandy man,, and where it belongs to no doubt .
Imagine Persian Throne room with 300 decor!, you could select ether a threesome of mutant bi#ches or a opium smokin goat, Xerxes: 'dammm goatee pass that sh#t! yaaa boyeee!!!!'

 

[avsa]

A thrine room would be nice, specially if it appeared on the background when you met a foreign leader. You could tell how powerful he was by the throne room.

But I preferred the palace on Civ I. And with the palace visible from outside the city on civ IV it would be a simply matter of changing the 3d avatar of the palace. Maybe each new palace part could be built as a wonder, like the spacehip, but instead of, like in a normal wonder, it putting a new 3d object on the city, it would change the 3d palace avatar.

So you could just zoom in to see your palace located on the city...