Unique techs/buildings?

[Stormphoenix]

Im working on a total conversion which is currently in its planning stages - however I'm a little unsure as to what is moddable and what is hardcoded. I want each civ to have unique buildings or even completely different tech trees (its a fantasy mod) - I know you can add unique units, is it possible to do the same for techs or buildings?

 

[Kael]

Yeah, its all possible. Not quite as easy as it is to add unique units but you can do it. There isn't much that can't be done, its all about how much time and effort you are willing to spend.

 

[Zurai]

Unique buildings are pretty easy - you can do that by giving each civ a unique starting tech that is a partial pre-requisite for building their unique building(s). EDIT: Actually, it's slightly harder than that. Buildings can only have one pre-req tech (unlike units), but can have multiple pre-req buildings. So, make a 1-cost building that's granted by the starting tech and required for the unique buildings.

Unique techs are harder. The only way I can think of offhand to give each civ a different tech tree is to use python and manually enable/disable all the techs at the start of the game.

 

[Kael]

I think buildings can have multiple tech requirements. You just put the additional requirements in the TechTypes element.

The trick you suggested for giving each civ a unique starting tech could also be used to grant each a unique tech tree. Just have the civ specific techs require the civ unique tech.

 

[Stormphoenix]

Thanks for the replies. I wish there was some documentation, I'm learning by trial and error, and finding out what you can/can't do seems a bit hard to figure out.

 

[Zurai]

The trick you suggested for giving each civ a unique starting tech could also be used to grant each a unique tech tree. Just have the civ specific techs require the civ unique tech.

Yeah, but then you have all the other techs visible, too, don't you? That'd be a mess - one tech tree is hard enough to plan out.

 

[Kael]

Thanks for the replies. I wish there was some documentation, I'm learning by trial and error, and finding out what you can/can't do seems a bit hard to figure out.

Yeah, I run a tally for some of the things I try to do. I tell my wife the chance is about 1 in a 1000 that what I am trying will work, so if I try it 1000 times I will eventually get it. Then I start counting.

The highest I have gotten was up in the 40's when I was trying to build a fireball, most of which caused immediate CTD's.