CIV2 PBEM DIPLOMACY UTILITY

CIV2 PBEM DIPLOMACY UTILITY

By Javier Muñoz Kirschberg

NOTE: THIS IS A BETA VERSION AND EXPECTED TO BE FULL OF BUGS!

Introduction:

Thank you for using this CIV2 PBEM Diplomacy utility. With this Java™ program, you can make some barters with others humans players in a CIV2 Multiplayer Gold Edition Game.

For those of us that don’t know what Civilization 2 is, I only can say that Sid Meier’s Civilization 2 (by Microprose) is, in my humble opinion, the better game ever done! You lead a tribe from the ancients time to the success – or the failure. Civilization 2 has many versions; one of them, Civilization 2 Multiplayer Edition (also know as Ultimate Civilization 2) allow multiplayer games by Internet (IP games) or by e-mail.

The problem of e-mail games is that, when a player receives the mail with his or her turn, he or she can enter into diplomacy agreements with other humans. Civ2 only support diplomacy chats on IP games. To allow these agreements is the goal of my utility. In the next sections, I will explain you how it works.

What is new?

* New and improved diplomacy screen

* Multilingual support

* Security loop closed: You can’t now view offers that aren’t directed to you

* Civ name near leader name

* If there is an embassy, don't display those techs that the civs have in common.

* New barter-file format

* Improved security

What do you need?

First of all, a Civilization Multiplayer Gold Edition game (there are some patch on internet that morph other versions of Civilization in the multiplayer edition).

Also, this is a Java™-based program, so you need a JRE (stand for Java Runtime Environment). If you are a MAC OS X user, probably your system comes with this pre-installed. But if you are a PC user or a MAC user without it, you can download it from:

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/jre/index.html

If you are a MAC OS IX or MAC OS VIII user, this application will not work on your computer. I’m working on a solution to this problem. Blame Apple for supporting Java only on MAC OS X.

How I install/run the program?

PC and MAC users: After installing the JRE, extract the ZIP (use WinZip, for example). You will see Civ2Dip.JAR. You can double-click on this file to run the application (for MAC users, there is a little utility to transform JAR files in double-click applications: http://homepage.mac.com/townsend/programs/jarappbuilder.html)

How it works?

1) First of all, the welcome screen. [NOTE: Screenshot are only to help understanding how the program works. From computer to computer, the interface will vary. For MAC users, I expect it to be like any other MAC application, but I haven’t test it]

2) After you press next, you can load a .NET file. NET files store the save games. For this application to work, the .NET file must be in the same folder that the correspondent RULES.TXT file:

3) With the NET game loaded, you can choose who are you, selecting the leader’s name of your civilization!

1) This is the main diplomatic window:

2) If this is the first time you use the utility with this game, you need to set a password. Without a password, you can not enter in diplomatic agreements:

3) As usual, you need to confirm the password:

4) If you want to do barters, then you select ‘Make barter’. PLEASE NOTICE: You must make a barter after playing yourt turn! After typing your password, you select who will receive your offer:

5) Then, you set-up your offer:

If you haven’t an embassy with your opponent, you can ask any amount of gold and any tech. If your opponent has not enough gold or the techs required, the offer will not work! But you will not notice them (so you must guess what he/she have), and your opponent will not see your offer (the utility will block the offer!).

6) Then, you save the offer in a file:

And send it by e-mail or forums (visit http://www.apolyton.net, http://spanish.apolyton.net and http://www.civfanatics.com if you want to see goods civ-related forums!)

10) To open an offer, simply select ‘View a barter’ instead ‘Make barter’. PLEASE NOTICE: You must open offers before

move your turn! After you play, the offer will render obsolete! Then load the file that your opponent have send you by

email:

11)The offer will appear in your screen:

Enjoy it!

Multilingual support:

As you can see, it’s possible to select the language of the application in each phase. Currently only Spanish and English are available (I don’t speak others languages!). If you want to help me and translating the utility to other language, please drop me a line and I will send you a text file for you to translate it!

Please notice:

This is a BETA VERSION! In fact, this is the second beta version, so I expect it to be full of bugs. With the help of my beta-tester, I think that future version will be bugs-free.

This program is free, but not of free distribution. This is a beta; the future versions will be of free distribution.

I’m Spanish and English is not my first language. So, I beg your pardon for my rather bad language. My English-speakers beta-testers will be also of help with those failures ;)

If you want to be a beta-tester, please contact with me by email:

Javier Muñoz

jmunozk@clientes.unicaja.es

Or in the Apolyton (www.apolyton.net) HS-The Spanish Civilization Forum. I use the nick ‘yaroslav’

Credits:

- Microprose for this fun game.

- Sun for, Java, the most pretty language ever, and also for a good environment, “Forte”.

- Allard H.S. Höfelt, for his excellent “Hex-edit” document.

- All my beta-tester (Waku, Henrik, and Kramsib) [BETA-TEST: put here theirs real names!]

- All the Spanish gang on Apolyton, and all other posters, of course

- My family and my dog.

To do:

- I believe that there are some bugs to correct yet

- More options (maps, units interchange, for example)

- Natural disasters simulation

- Improve security

- Remove buttons for the diplomacy screen (Actually, they are there, but also are not visible… Believe me!)

History:

0.2.1 Second Beta Version – release 1

* Some typos on manual corrected

* Added button remove coded

* Added a little a link for MAC users

0.2 Second Beta Version.