What modders have and need

[Thalassicus]

I think of games like a car. Some parts we have access to, some we need, and some parts we don't need. In Civ 4 we have everything but the engine, and Civ 5 has:

Have

Need

Do not need

• 
  SDK: tools to work on a car. It's the ModBuddy kit we have.
• 
  Lua: upholstery, steering wheel, and dashboard. It gives Civ its look, lets us turn somewhat, and check what's going on.
• 
  XML: transmission of information/power to the engine.
• 
  API: the incomplete user manual.
• 
  Core: gas/brake pedals, the core operates the engine.
• 
  DLL: the gasoline, storing power. It's simply file storage and we don't interact with it.
• 
  Engine: the... engine! It interacts with the operating system, renders 3D images, and similar low-level tasks. Game engines are expensive to develop, rarely released to the public, and often licensed out to other companies for thousands of dollars (such as the Unreal engine).

So right now we can see how the game works, change its look, and alter the direction it goes in to a limited degree. We can't really control where we're going without access to the core pedals. Firaxis is the only one with access to that right now. They provide us with a specific set of functions to work with, and we can do great things with what we have! We cannot decide on totally new destinations, however, like Fall from Heaven in Civ 4.

 

[Sneaks]

Excellent post! I must admit I am becoming more and more impressed with the serious power people have extracted from Lua recently.

 

[EmperorFool]

Is the core separate from the DLL as opposed to Civ4? What is in each at a high level?

 

[Thalassicus]

The c++ core source code is what we modify, typically stored in a *.cpp, cc, or h file. When done with the source code we compile it into the *.exe or *.dll file format to run the finished results. It's a minor distinction but I like to be accurate. The dll and exe formats are basically identical. They're just used for different purposes. A dll file is essentially a modular component of an application, while an exe is usually a full application.

I'm very sleepy so hopefully I didn't make any mistakes. Off to rest!

 

[EmperorFool]

In Civ4 the game core compiled into the DLL so I was just making sure it wasn't different in Civ5. Good night!

 

[syndicatedragon]

Hopefully, the .dll source will be released sometime this decade. I'm not holding my breath, though...

 

[AlextheGr8]

I have seen mods that adjust the Ai to make them smarter in fighting. Is it possible to add that to this mod? Any way to make them use artillery and naval warfare better? They seem to be building nice armies full of all types of units which is great, but they aren't using naval at all and artillery leads the charge sometimes.

 

[Thalassicus]

If you can point me to a specific mod you're thinking about, I'll take a look.

There's hundreds of files and thousands of variables accessible to us, and it's often difficult to figure out what they do. Most of my work with the AI has been through extensive trial and error. Seeing an existing project and its effects would make that easier.

 

[Seek]

In the (deleted?!) Gods and Kings thread Gedemon, the creator of the WW2 scenario, claimed to have improved naval and ranged AI tactics, but I haven't tried it so can't say for certain.

EDIT: I was just taking a look at the scenario, and Gedemon's got *hotseat* working with it!! Any chance we could see this added to UP/VEM?

 

[Thalassicus]

Hotseat is possible but I honestly don't know what would be required. I vaguely remember something about generalizing things like ActivePlayer calls.

 

[AlextheGr8]

Yes I don't have a link I just read his description of the WW2 mod. Incorporating that into VEM would be great!