[Warlords] Battle of Hastings

[iggymnrr]

I'll offer a sample of what I'm doing with the pedia. Anything in the XML/text directory (the pedia) is being arranged with clear names and organized. Files will look like: HastingsCivilizationsText.xml, HastingsLeaderheadsText.xml etc. I noticed TXT_KEY calls with no answers. Each civ produces 4 of these and I noticed 3 were left unanswered so I filled in the blanks:

<TEXT>
<Tag>TXT_KEY_CIV_SCOTLAND_DESC</Tag>
<English>Scottish Empire</English>
<French>Scottish Empire</French>
<German>Scottish Empire</German>
<Italian>Scottish Empire</Italian>
<Spanish>Scottish Empire</Spanish>
</TEXT>
<TEXT>
<Tag>TXT_KEY_CIV_SCOTLAND_SHORT_DESC</Tag>
<English>Scotland</English>
<French>Scotland</French>
<German>Scotland</German>
<Italian>Scotland</Italian>
<Spanish>Scotland</Spanish>
</TEXT>
<TEXT>
<Tag>TXT_KEY_CIV_SCOTLAND_ADJECTIVE</Tag>
<English>Scot</English>
<French>Scot</French>
<German>Scot</German>
<Italian>Scot</Italian>
<Spanish>Scot</Spanish>
</TEXT>

You get the idea. I can finish the civilizations and leaders tonight and maybe more. (Its going fast.) Hold off on cities I'm wondering about something. FWIW You've obviously used the worldbuilder to make the scenario and, say one civ has only one city listed in the civ xml, what would happen if an AI played that civ and tried to build another city? (Unlikely) Hmmm. What would it be called? Would the game crash? I know a human player would see in the name city box a default name like "TXT_KEY_SOMETHING" which can simply be changed. I must return to editting.

 

[Flintlock1415]

I've disabled settlers, so thats not a problem. I think the game would call it New ___ when the list is repeated.

 

[iggymnrr]

Returning to my work on the pedia. FWIW I did a quick 1 civ, 1 leader mock up of BoH and copied over to Windows. It loaded fine and the graphic for Malcom looks great. I also tried deleting all TXT_KEYS_ from the XML/text directory and tested that. Windows almost loaded it the first time but crashed. Subsequent attempts crashed at the same previous time.

 

[Flintlock1415]

I feel like we're getting closer...
Thanks again!

 

[iggymnrr]

Found something else I can check too. But a quick note is in order. My work is being done in the mod's XML/Text directory. This means I cannot, under any circumstances, touch files anywhere else. (This editor's golden rule.) But when a BBEdit search just showed me a possible mistake elsewhere ... Hmmm ... I can go back later and look for more of something like this:

Battle of Hastings/Assets/XML/technologies/CIV4TechInfos.xml:12: <Description>TXT_KEY_TECH_ANCIENT</Description>
Battle of Hastings/Assets/XML/technologies/CIV4TechInfos.xml:68: <Quote>TXT_KEY_TECH_ANCIENT</Quote>

That's a double entry. The quote line should be reading TXT_KEY_TECH_ANCIENT_QUOTE like the other techs. I must refrain from correcting this myself. Looks like I should perform similar cross checks when I'm done. But when I'm done ... ... people who have offered to do historical research will be able to tell at a glance where something should go and the have the required tags already in place.

 

[Flintlock1415]

Are those also stopping Windows from loading this mod? Interesting...
I really don't mind if you edit the other files, esp. if its stopping the mod from loading.

 

[iggymnrr]

You can believe I will try things and let you know. But it's the concept of working with more than one member of a team. Its easy to get too many irons in the fire. My sole goal right now is TXT_KEY_ strings. I will log what changes I've made only if they work, undoing them if they don't. From your side, log any TXT_KEY_ strings you create or delete. (I'm sure your not busy dreaming up new ones ... LOL ... who is?) The above is just something that should be done.

I may as well ask the forum a dumb question, "Is there anything a Mac user might overlook when installing a mod? Or something that needs to be done when porting over to Windows?"

 

[Flintlock1415]

Mostly there is three levels that you'll need to deal with:
First, and most obvious, is making sure there is no custom dll file. If there is, you cannot use this mod AT ALL.

Secondly, I would worry about the XML and esp. text files. Windows users will sometimes have illegal characters which will ruin a mod. There are also things that can screw with the text files, but for the specifics I'd pm AlanH. (I've never ported a mod over.)

Thirdly but probably least important is Python. If the mod you're looking at uses calls that are unique to Python 2.4, you'll need to create a workaround to make it 2.3 compatible. Python also seems to be much more touchy with patches, as they update the Class References with nearly every patch AFAIK.

 

[AlanH]

Thirdly but probably least important is Python. If the mod you're looking at uses calls that are unique to Python 2.4, you'll need to create a workaround to make it 2.3 compatible. Python also seems to be much more touchy with patches, as they update the Class References with nearly every patch AFAIK.

In my early days of porting mods, Python used to be a significant problem, as modders used Windows Registry calls in Python to track down where the various files and folders were stored. I had to work out alternative ways to provide those features in OS X.

Those Registry calls may also result in the patch sensitivity that Flintlock mentions. I haven't noticed that Class References change from patch to patch.

Python may be less of a problem these days simply because modders who can change the Python code are also likely to use a custom DLL, so their mods are automatically disqualified

 

[iggymnrr]

Thanks for the answers. Working on the buildings text now and spacing into management techiques. I'm already using a spread sheet to track my progress and have just figured out how to generate a complete list of all TXT_KEYS_ used in the mod -- all 1171 of them! This is great as I now have a way to cross check (maybe via Automator). Simply generate a final list of ones I've assumed to be in the game already (barb cities, building projects, etc.) and use automation to verify that they are indeed in the game. And if I can tease Flintlock a bit, in organizing building text I have the opposite problem: too many TXT_KEY_ answers for the TXT_KEY calls made.

 

[iggymnrr]

Thanks. Looks like things don't stay uploaded unless you post. FWIW how many people know how many TXT_KEYS_ are answered in civ 4? Vanilla=5441; Warlords=1374 according to these two directories Vanilla/Assets/XML/Text and Warlords/Assets/XML/Text. Next time I play I'm going to throw these two books at the AI.

Link: http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=210408&stc=1&d=1239424734

 

[Flintlock1415]

Thanks for this. It looks a lot more organized now!
EDIT: I've got two little questions for you:
1, are you going to do the other things, i.e. buildings, religions, etc. or is that up to me? (Its fine if I have to do it, just curious.)
And 2, do you have any new ideas on how to get this mod loaded on Windows? This is a more important question, because I feel this mod will be severely hampered if Windows users can't play.

 

[iggymnrr]

When I say I've edited before ... wait until you see the final reports! I've already generated a list of TXT_KEY_ answers in Vanilla, Warlords. I've also produced a list of TXT_KEY_ calls made by your mod (on a file by file basis so that any KEY corrections that need to be made stand out -- I'll mark these when I submit it to you and then make the corrections to my untouched original.) When I'm done, I'll also produce two more lists -- modded KEYS and unmodded ones. The modded ones will match the calls made in your mod while the unmodded ones will match up with Vanilla and/or Warlords.

I've really perfected the workflow. I have open a list of KEYs in the file I'm working on, the text file I'm writing to, Warlords running to copy what I see on screen, a BBEdit search going to your mods text directory, and a default format window open (and sometimes a Sodoku game going when I start to space.) The large amount of TXT_KEYS_ ? You had a bigger job with graphics!

The only thing I'm not certain on right now is the <gender> <plural> tags. My linguistic sense understands this but I also sense inconsistencies in the programming. Its probably going to come down to a fiat decision. But since this is really a formatting problem, it can be done when I'm finished.

 

[iggymnrr]

As to the Windows version, it's floating around my mind. I'm thinking of ways it can be assembled over there, perhaps in stages to see where the problem lies. But right now ... I would not be able to do that on the Mac -- newbie.

 

[iggymnrr]

Below is a zip file for the XML/text directory. I think I've covered most of the KEYS that have been modded and will now begin cross checking. You can swap the text directory completely and, ideally, it should look like I haven't done a thing. There's still a few loose ends, but they can wait for now.

 

[Flintlock1415]

Awesome! I'll check it out.

 

[iggymnrr]

I was able to figure out how to use BBEdit to match KEYS, or rather eliminate matches.

Make these changes to sync your mod with the current pedia, sorry I lost line numbers key-matching:

CHANGED_TXT_KEY_UNIT_WARGALLEY_PEDIA --> TXT_KEY_UNIT_WARGALLEY_PEDIA
CHANGED_TXT_KEY_UNIT_KNARR_PEDIA --> TXT_KEY_UNIT_KNARR_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TECH_ANCIENT --> TXT_KEY_TECH_ANCIENT_QUOTE (Look for Quote tag)

Also address this which looks like it should be in mod:

Keys in Hastings pedia not defined in mod
TXT_KEY_UNIT_TAOIST_MISSIONARY_PEDIA

Currently BBEdit has left me with only the following unmatched KEYS. This list seems like it should be a lot shorter like I missed some keys in Vanilla and/or Warlords. (Still, it's a lot shorter than the 1000+ I started with!)

Spoiler :

Keys in Hastings currently unmatched
TXT_KEY_CITY_NAME_EDINBURGH
TXT_KEY_CITY_NAME_CASHEL
TXT_KEY_CITY_NAME_CARDIFF
TXT_KEY_CITY_NAME_GHENT
TXT_KEY_CIV_MINOR_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_LEADER_BARBARIAN_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_VICTORY_SCORE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_VICTORY_TIME_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_VICTORY_CONQUEST_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_VICTORY_DOMINATION_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_VICTORY_CULTURAL_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_FEATURE_ICE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_FEATURE_JUNGLE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_FEATURE_OASIS_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_FEATURE_FLOOD_PLAINS_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_FEATURE_FOREST_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_FEATURE_FALLOUT_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_LAND_WORKED_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_WATER_WORKED_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_CITY_RUINS_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_GOODY_HUT_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_FARM_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_FISHING_BOATS_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_WHALING_BOATS_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_MINE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_WORKSHOP_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_LUMBERMILL_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_WINDMILL_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_WATERMILL_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_PLANTATION_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_QUARRY_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_PASTURE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_CAMP_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_WINERY_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_COTTAGE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_HAMLET_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_VILLAGE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_TOWN_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_IMPROVEMENT_FORT_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_GRASS_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_PLAINS_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_DESERT_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_TUNDRA_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_ICE_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_COAST_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_OCEAN_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_PEAK_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_TERRAIN_HILL_PEDIA
TXT_KEY_UNIT_GREAT_TYCOON
TXT_KEY_UNIT_CHANGED_VIKING_BESERKER_PEDIA

I may rest on this for a couple of days, likely trying a few other ideas to get Hastings running on Windows.

P.S. I just copied over the XML/Text directories and sampled some of the Keys in the spoiler. I found no matches there either. Seems like the games ignored some or you did a lot of custom KEY creation. I'd bet that only the cities are yours.

 

[Flintlock1415]

The Taoist missionary should be called 'Norse Missionary'. And yes only the cities in the spoiler are mine.

I can't wait to see what you can come up for the Windows version!

 

[iggymnrr]

The pedia does get this this to read Norse missionary, but I couldn't find the call in the mod. It's may be an inconsistency in naming conventions in the original game. I'll check on this after work.

 

[iggymnrr]

Did a little experiment. Dale's Age of Discovery has been sitting in my mod's folder forever. I remembered it being described as "Mac compatible" ... So I recreated a PublicMaps folder inside the mod, dragged the AoD WB map from my Vanilla PublicMaps folder and placed it into the newly created one. Then I copied it over to XP and rebooted. After looking up the Windows instructions I launched the mod and it worked great. The standout difference in the mod's folder was a Python folder (Assets/Python) which doesn't look like it does much more than handle start up. FWIW it's attached below. Don't know if this means anything but maybe someone else does.