[You design scenarios?] Please help me!

[Gr3yHound]

I hope a lot of developers hang arround in this forum so i try to use this thread as my channel to talk to you.

During the developent of my tool i might have some questions according to how things work in civ and it's mods. I'll hopefully be allowed to ask them here.

I really appreciate if you look into the thread whenever you see it. I can surely use any experienced guy arround.

My current question in this thread can be found here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=7561288&postcount=8


Thanks a lot

 

[Agent327]

It would help if you could tell what Mapview is intended to do.

Personally I start either with a map (which needs editing) or a mod (which may or may not include a map, depending on the mod). The rest is a lot of trial and error until I'm more or less satisfied with the result. (Feedback after upload may reslt in even further editing.)

What I really would like is an actual Final Frontier map editor. (Worldbuilder is next to useless for that.)

 

[Gr3yHound]

I really wanted to keep the question as simple as possible. Like a "what if" scenario. I thought this could reveal the un-influenced response possible. I tried to track down the needs of people designing scenarios. I hoped i could receive a wide range of crazy ideas about how things could be far easier etc. etc. witihout defining any rules. I just seek for ideas! That's why i keep that question so wide open!

But anyways:
MapView is a Scenario editor, focused on yoour map setup.
Desinging landscape, handling unit placements, bonus appearances, feature appearances, etc. ... that kind of stuff.

 

[Agent327]

Well, if it works for Final Frontier, that'd be great.

 

[Gr3yHound]

I develop something that should be open to ANY mod available ... i really hope this will be going somewhere.

Yep, just did that yesterday since i read that request in the civ4 map maker thread. It's not really done yet but i'll show you a video in a sec.

• Add support for custom bonuses, features, units, terrains, etc.
• *new*Changing active mod in the software

I plan to make something so you can just drop in the files:

• - CIV4BonusInfos.xml
• - CIV4FeatureInfos.xml
• - CIV4ImprovementInfos.xml
• - CIV4TerrainInfos.xml

of the mod you want to be supported into a new folder and be ready. The pictures in the toolbar will probably just be an extra feature, but not be required.

The basic idea is to leave any freedom to the developer. If he wants to have a bonus, feature, improvement, terrain...he can have it and use it....and it's already working. The current version of MapView (if i finally get to an release) will be able to allow you to specify something like "TERRAIN_THISTERRAINROXX" and actually have it placed on maps, and saved!

I'll give you a short impression in a video i'll upload within the next 10 minutes.

 

[Gr3yHound]

Just compiling the video, will be up in a few minutes ;P

 

[Gr3yHound]

Watch this

and here you are

(sry...it's 6 am)

and when i say black i probably meant 'white'

 

[Gr3yHound]

I'm currently trying to use values from files like:

CIV4BonusInfos.xml
CIV4FeatureInfos.xml
CIV4ImprovementInfos.xml
CIV4TerrainInfos.xml

to help you to find errors and show you problems inside your scenarios.

Now i wonder about tags like:

TerrainBooleans
TerrainMakesValids
FeatureMakesValids
BonusTypeStructs -> bBonusMakesValid
FeatureTerrainBooleans
etc.

What does that really mean? Where can i learn about those?

I found information here: http://civ4.wikidot.com/xml:civ4bonusinfos

Does it apply?

My current ideas are:
TerrainBooleans --> That belongs to FEATURES. Features can only be placed where TerrainBoolean is 1

TerrainMakesValids --> Belongs to IMPROVEMENTS, adds a TERRAIN Condition that has to be met.
FeatureMakesValids --> Belongs to IMPROVEMENTS, adds a FEATURE Condition that has to be met.
BonusTypeStructs --> Belongs to IMPROVEMENTS, adds a BONUS Condition that has to be met.
---> that would mean: if all 3 conditions are met, the improvement may exist.
FeatureTerrainBooleans ---> ??????

example: An IMPROVEMENT_FARM could be on ...
TERRAIN_GRASS or TERRAIN_PLAINS fields that also have
BONUS_CORN or BONUS_WHEAT or BONUS_RICE

is that correct? if there was also something.

What do i have to know if i want to see if ...
Bonuses...
Feature ...
Improvements ...
routes ...

etc. are placed according to those rules?



and what does FeatureTerrainBooleans mean?

Would be really, really, really great if someone who is used to those things could write down a little about the way those tags work.

Thanks a thousand times!!!!