[MOD] Plot List Enhancements v0.95

[12monkeys]

--------------------------------------------------
Name : PlotList Button Enhancement
Version : v0.95 beta
Date : 21.12.05
Author : 12monkeys (@civfanatics)
--------------------------------------------------

!!!! This is for Civ4 patch 1.09 only. A version for Civ4 patch 1.52 look here !!!!

This mod improves the unit information which is shown in the plot list.

Features :

1.) Additional Spot Info
injured units will get a darker spot in the upper left corner, following this table :
standard civ4 colors and their meaning :
- green : unit can move
- yellow : unit has moved, but some movements points are left.
- white : unit is fortified
- red : unit can't move

additional colors by this mod :
- darkgreen : unit can move but is injured
- orange : unit has moved, but some movements points are left, and is injured
- gray : unit is fortified and is injured
- darkred : unit can't move and is injured


2.) Display of unit missions
some special units missions are displayed below the unit icon :
- PAT : indicates that the unit is on ar-patrol/intercept mission
- SEN : unit has a sentry mission
- HEAL : unit is fortified and will wake up after its fully healed
- EXP : unit has an exploration mission
- AUT-B : unit is automized for general purpose (worker unit only)
- AUT-C : unit is automized for the nearest city (worker unit only)
- AUT-N : unit is automized to build network (worker unit only)
- GOTO : unit has a move-to command.
- FORT : unit is fortied
These icons should make it easier to check what units in a stack are available and what their current task is.


3.) Health bar
Besides the colored spot a health-bar is placed. It indicates the hitpoints a unit has.


4.) Promotion indicator
if a unit is able to be promoted, its icon is underlayed with a light-blue frame- Should ease up the identification of units to be promoted in a selection group.


5.) dynamic plot bar size
In the stadnard game, the number of plot list buttons has been set to 10, which is the maximum for a x-resolution of 1024. The mod now calculated the maximum number of plo list buttons for each resolution and displays them.


6.) single unit plot list button
usually, there is no unit icon disaplyed when you select a single unit. This has been changed now.


Installation :
copy the files from the ZIP into their corresponding folders in the "Own Files\My Games\Civilization 4" folder. Installation at own risk!. If you already had installed the previous version, you may want to delete the dds files of the old version first. Some of them are obsolete, but there is no problem when you keep them (just a waste of some bytes on your harddisk).


Issues :
1.) Well, I'm not an artist in means of graphics. So if there is anybody making better looking buttons, he should do it and give me a feedback.
2.) There may be special unit states which are not catched, so that a wrong information is disaplyed.


Ideas for future realeases :
1.) indicate the number of possible promotions for an unit. Currently I don't know how to calculate it. Maybe someone can give me a hint?
2.) indicate the number of rounds till the unit is fully healed, related to the current circumstances. Same : I have no clue how I can calculate that.
3.) indicate if a unit can be upgraded. Just the possiblility if an upgrade is of interrest he



release notes :

v0.95 beta:
- added healthbar
- changed spot color
- added mission icons
- implemented dynamic plot bar size
- added promotion indicator
- lots of comments added
- single units will get their plot list button as well

v0.9 beta:
- initial release

[12monkeys]

dynamic plot list size for 1024 x resolution.

[12monkeys]

dynamic plot list size for 1600 x resolution.

[12monkeys]

mission icons sample 1, displaying some mission icons, the health bar and the promotion frame.

[12monkeys]

mission icons sample 2, displaying some other mision icons.

[12monkeys]

mission icons sample 3, disaplying that a single unit has a unit icon now.

[12monkeys]

the changed spot colors and their meaning.

[Tiberius]

wow, nice stuff

[Aloriel]

Installed the mod, but now my interface is gone. Alt-I does nothing. Can't find anything overtly wrong in any of the log files, and no error messages popped up when I started the game, or started up a new game.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I think I just realized what might be wrong. I play in 1280x1024... is your mod set up to handle that resolution? If not, then I'll have to remove it cause 1024x768 is just tooooo small, and I can't go larger than 1280x1024.

EDIT2: Tested it, and yes, that was the problem. Your mod, since it doesn't support mid-range resolutions wipes out the interface completely. Please include mid-range resolutions in your next build, because I love the idea, but I just can't play in 1024x768.

[vovan]

Looks like an excellent idea - the health bars in the unit list being the one item I've been missing most, because mousing over each unit to see their health is just so much inferior to at-a-glance information. Will definitely give it a whirl when I have a chance to play.

[12monkeys]

Originally posted by Aloriel
Installed the mod, but now my interface is gone. Alt-I does nothing. Can't find anything overtly wrong in any of the log files, and no error messages popped up when I started the game, or started up a new game.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I think I just realized what might be wrong. I play in 1280x1024... is your mod set up to handle that resolution? If not, then I'll have to remove it cause 1024x768 is just tooooo small, and I can't go larger than 1280x1024.

EDIT2: Tested it, and yes, that was the problem. Your mod, since it doesn't support mid-range resolutions wipes out the interface completely. Please include mid-range resolutions in your next build, because I love the idea, but I just can't play in 1024x768.

Alt-I ?? There is no function with Alt-I in this mod.

I tested this mod here with a lot of different resolutions (1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x768, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1360x768, 1360x1024, 1600x1200 and 2048x1536) and there are no problems.

There is only one function which is somehow related to the resolution, and this is the dynamic plot list size. But as I already said, I tested it with the resolution you said and there is no problem.

Maybe there is a problem in the installation? Did you install any other mods and there is a conflict now? Does anybody else have similar problems?

[Aloriel]

Alt-I is the key command to hide/show the interface. I was trying it, because the interface was hidden when I loaded up in 1280x1024. It wasn't necessary to use when I loaded in 1024x768. And it didn't reveal any interface while in 1280x1024.
I can try installing it again (I still have it )... just to be sure. Don't think it'll work, but won't hurt to try.

EDIT: Okay, installed and loading the game. I will switch between resolutions after I've loaded a game, just to see.

EDIT2: Okay, that's downright strange. I loaded the mod -exactly- the same way as I loaded it the first time, yet this time it worked?! I don't get it. Well, it works now *Shrug* so I guess I'll just go enjoy it then...

[bonscott]

May need to hold the shift key while loading to clear your cache (assuming 1.09). Honestly I make it a habit to do that after installing any mod since most of them require you do so anyway.

By the way, love the mod and am using it now in a current game. I was worried about a slow down in the game but if there is one I'm not seeing any. I am amazed every day by what you can mod in this game...

[ghen]

argh, too many mods installed.. running into conflicts lol. Now I'm going to have to start working harder.

[bonscott]

Originally posted by ghen
argh, too many mods installed.. running into conflicts lol. Now I'm going to have to start working harder.

I hear ya. I started a text file that I put in my Civ 4 directory in My Games that lists out each mod I have installed, what files are included in the mods and any other special info. That way I can keep track of it all because I quickly lost track of modding Civ 3 and it got out of hand.