Can you MOD the slider bar?

[davypi]

All too frequently I am finding myself in a position where, say, 60% research is giving me too much gold, but 70% research is putting me into deficit spending. Is there a mod, or a way to make a mod, that would change the slider increment to 5% instead of 10%?

[TriMiro]

Keep the slider to 60% for a couple of turns, then push it back to 70% fro couple more. It is a small amount of micromanagement, but it achieves what you want. Even if the slider changes in increments of 5%, the issue of too much gold vs too little gold will still be there, maybe less problematic but still there.

Someone mentioned something about modding the sidebar, but I don't know if it has been done.

[Jaybe]

Simple: change the value of COMMERCE_PERCENT_CHANGE_INCREMENTS in GlobalDefines.xml

As with all xml changes, edit a COPY of the file, and put it into the corresponding folder in your CustomAssets. You do not want to mess up the original file and have to re-install the game.

[davypi]

Thanks for the reply. I tried the change, but it didn't work. I assume, however, that the real problem is that I simply don't know to modify these files correctly. I've tried to locate some tutorials but I'm getting too many sites about how to create new civs and new scenarios rather than anything about how to modify game mechanics. Is there a tutorial somebody can point me to that would explain how to make Jaybe's change?

[Seedle]

Originally posted by davypi
Thanks for the reply. I tried the change, but it didn't work. I assume, however, that the real problem is that I simply don't know to modify these files correctly. I've tried to locate some tutorials but I'm getting too many sites about how to create new civs and new scenarios rather than anything about how to modify game mechanics. Is there a tutorial somebody can point me to that would explain how to make Jaybe's change?

I assume you can find the GlobalDefines.xml, if you can't, post and someone can tell you where to find it. Once you have that, use an xml editor, I use notepad ++, but there's plenty out there, google xml editor. By the way, windows on my computer tries to open xml with some wonky program that says it is an xml editor, but it doesn't work for me, so you should probably download something. Anyway, control f for the line jaybe mentioned. Change the number 10 under that line to whatever you want the slider increment to be. Save this edited file, with the same name, in the xml folder of your custom assets folder It is important that it be in the xml folder within the custom assets folder. That's it. Takes like 30 seconds. Thanks Jaybe!

[davypi]

I think the problem here is that I dont have a Custom Assets folder. I found the shortcut to it in Civ 4 folder and it points to:

"%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\CustomAssets"

When I double click it, it starts searching but can't find the destination. I assume that it is trying to find the My Documents folder for my user login (i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\Davy\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4), but even if I go there manually, there hasn't been a CustomAssets folder created.

[Vampgelus]

There should be a custom asset's folder in :

*\My Games\Beyond the Sword*

[davypi]

*sigh*

Ok. I think I found the right folder (thanks Vamp) but now when I try to start the game up, the game crashes on the loading screen during the "InitXML (uncached)" portion of the progress bar. And that's just by moving a copy of the original over without making the change. Any guesses on what to do next?

[Vampgelus]

Sure it is the original ? That should cause no problems...
Anyway, just try to modify it as you want, if it still crushes, just delete the file and look for another method.

[Seedle]

Originally posted by davypi
*sigh*

Ok. I think I found the right folder (thanks Vamp) but now when I try to start the game up, the game crashes on the loading screen during the "InitXML (uncached)" portion of the progress bar. And that's just by moving a copy of the original over without making the change. Any guesses on what to do next?

Make sure you are copying the GlobalDefines from BeyondtheSword/Assets/XML, not the GlobalDefines from the original Civ4 assets. If you use the original (it has less info, it is about 10k smaller iirc) you get the error you described.

Edit: After copying the wrong GlobalDefines to recreate the error, I deleted the copy, but am still getting the error. Any ideas?

Edit2: Fixed it. Just placed a copy of the BtS GlobalDefines in my custom assets, started up BtS, then deleted the copy in custom assets, and everything works fine.

[Crossfire]

I got this to work but I first tried editing the file with Microsoft XML Notepad 2007 but it changed the file size and I got the same error as davypi did. I ended up using regular old Notepad that comes with Vista and it works perfectly.

[Seedle]

Originally posted by Crossfire
I got this to work but I first tried editing the file with Microsoft XML Notepad 2007 but it changed the file size and I got the same error as davypi did. I ended up using regular old Notepad that comes with Vista and it works perfectly.

Whenever I try to edit XML with notepad it will only let me save as a .txt file, what am I doing wrong? Not that it matters too much, I downloaded something that works, but becoming more computer literate is always good.

[snoopy369]

1. Don't use notepad

2. Change 'save as type' to 'all files' then add your own extension

[Seedle]

Thank you Snoopy.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Seedle

Whenever I try to edit XML with notepad it will only let me save as a .txt file, what am I doing wrong? Not that it matters too much, I downloaded something that works, but becoming more computer literate is always good.

I've never had any problems with Notepad. Just don't use the "Save As" function, only the "Save" and it will retain it's XML extension.