City sizes and city graphics

[techumseh]

The 4 city size graphics (s,m,l,xl) are displayed when cities reach certain sizes. This size varies according to the type of city. Industrial cities need to be somewhat bigger before the next size graphic is used, and Modern and Renaissance cities even larger still.

Here's what I'd like to do: Use the various initial starting syles (Bronze Age, Classical, Far East, Medieval) to create separate styles, but have them shift up to the next city size graphic according to the Modern schedule.

I'm working on distinct capital cities for WWII era New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Nanking and Moscow, but with the XL graphic being displayed when a city reaches 8 in size, most of the cities end up looking like the capital.

Could this be hex edited perhaps? Or some other solution?

[Mercator]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean... You want the schedule of the starting styles to change to the modern style schedule?

It might be possible by hexediting the civ2 executable, but I have no idea how difficult that would be. I'll have a look later this evening.

Another easier solution could be to adjust the amount of food (e.g. change the amount of food per citizen to 3, or reduce the productivity of the terrain), or to adjust the size limits and technology prerequisites for aquaducts/sewers.

[Mercator]

Right... I don't think hexediting is feasible. The only clues we'd have are a few small numbers. Furthermore, they'd probably be single-byte values, which means they're all over the executable, making it near impossible to locate which ones refer to the city size.

Others with more debugging/hexediting experience might have more luck, or better ideas to "fix" this (e.g. Angelo Scotto, Julius Brenzaida... I think).

[techumseh]

Thanks for trying. I figured it'd probably be hard coded. Too bad.

You've got the idea right. The original 4 city styles show the extra large city graphic if a city is 8 or larger. Modern and Renaissance cities must be at least 19 in size before using the XL graphic. That's what I want for all 7 styles.

[Mercator]

Whoa! I didn't realise the difference was that big...

Do you know all limits? Maybe I can give it another shot, but knowing all the numbers involved will make it a bit easier (assuming these numbers would appear not too far away from eachother in the executable).

[techumseh]

I'd be thrilled if you did. Here's an old thread on this subject which might be of some use: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...ght=city+sizes

[techumseh]

Any luck?

[Mercator]

I'm afraid not... I thought I had a good idea, and I made a little program that searched for all locations in the executable where those numbers occurred closely together. But there are still way too many of them to just test each case individually.

I don't think I can do it... Well, unless I ever learn assembly language or otherwise have WAY too much time on my hands.

[:) Smiley]

Wow, when did NYC become the capital!