How easy is it to add a few simple changes?

[diemex]

I used to MOD civ 2 a LOT for my own enjoyment. It was simple. I could borrow from other mods and combine and make my own additions etc.

Civ 3 I didnt bother.

Civ 4 is FANTASTIC... but I do have some chages I'd like make.

A few simple things I'd like to do :

- Increase Stealth Bomber range (by a lot) On a huge map I would like to be able to recon/bomb another continent. Bombers in rl today have almost global range (considering in flight refuelling and such) I'd like to simulate that extended range.

- Terraforming Unit. Would like a worker that can turn land into something else. ie: desert to plains. Would make for good "mars" scenario.

- and I guess the last thing I always wanted but have never seen in civ yet is true HELICOPTER units. ie: units that can travel over land/sea/etc but must land at a city before x turns (fuel) runs out. I'd make an attack version and then a transport version.

Are these things doable in civ 4 by average joe ?

[MMC]

Modifying the Stealth bomber is easy, and would be a great starting point for anyone wanting to find out how the XML works. Also, you might want to see about making a new unit to simulate the in-flight refuelling station (anyone seen Stealth [the film]?), but that could be a little more advanced.

As for the other two...

Terraforming units appear to be the Holy Grail of Civ4 and there are a number of (not very easy) methods which have been suggested. If you find or make a decent one that works cleanly and isn't just a dirty hack (using a bug to get something to work) then please head over to the AC-Creation / C4:AC section and announce it.

Helicopters are also quite complex, but someone may have already designed a couple. I suggest you look around.

[diemex]

I dont know how 'clean' this mod is...

but I found this excellent terraforming mod :

http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=143500

I've used it in 2 games now and it seems to work without any issues or bugs other than one weird one. You have 'communism' tech discovered right from start of game. But disregard that and the rest of it is excellent stuff.


I think with this alone I may make a nice scenario for myself using a Mars like map. Thinking I would fill it with Desert and tundra terrain (maybe some mountan/peaks) and additionaly have fallout all over the place. Then the player and AI would each get a settler, 2 workers and start with advanced tech.