new ANT scenario

[biru biru]

uh, i just meant the graphics weren't showing up here. Maybe they are terrain2, i don't know. Broken_Erika, I've seen you post maps on other threads. Can you explain to me how to do it? I'm a novice computer user...

[valmont]

The units are freaking gorgeous!! I don't know why you belittled your skill, I think you're doing great. What sources are you working from?

Sorry I haven't done much to help. I'm trying to finish up Happy Hour; shouldn't be too much longer. Still wrestling with the rules file.

based wholly or in part on scientific names and classifications for differnt ants

I like this a lot.

Will there be rivers?

[KASHANKA]

I think a puddle could be simulated with the "Ocean" terrain, as for rivers thay may be used to make a big graphic of some sort.

BTW I just remembered something... There was a new RTS released about ants lately "Empire of the ants" if I'm not mistaken. Has anyone here heard or maybe even has this game?
Maybe we could borrow some graphics from there?

[biru biru]

All terrain is changed in the game, the garaphics just aren't posted here yet. Used most of the basic terrain slots though.

[biru biru]

Thanks Valmont, I think they are fine too so far. I know there are some real artists on this site though.

Valmont, et eal, I'll try to post the map. It has a couple of lakes that are essentially puddles, or ponds I suppose, and a an aprox. 3-ocean square wide river running through the middle of it. this river divides a couple of the civilizations to slow down contact until leaf-rafts can be built, although queens can easily paradrop over it from the beginning of the game.

Haven't seen Empire of the ants, I'll do some surfing.

[biru biru]

Valmont, I am taking photographs of ants from the internet, erasing aound their edges in photoshop to remove the background, then shrinking them a couple of times. My biggest problem now, (maybe you can help) is that the graphics look great in photoshop, and even paint, but somehow the pink background is bleeding into the units and making the legs and edges look purple-pink in the game.

Still need more ants, city-improvement and wonder icons. Also, Krashanka hinted at some beetles and such. I don't see why not to include many kinds of insects. Like the grasshopper, catching these insects could trigger a gold reward.

[biru biru]

Question:

I used the CITY text document to edit default city names for all tribes, including back-up civs in case a civilization is desroyed and re-started. I used the civ II scenario editor to change the names of the first 7 civs and their leaders with no problem. I couldn't figure out how to change the names for the back-up civs though. When I edited the back-up civ's names in the RULES text, the new civ's cities came out nameless. Making changes in the RULES for civ names and leaders prevented city-name defaults from working correctly.

How can I change the names of the other 12 back-up civs, without effecting other game mechanics?

[biru biru]

working on customizing each tribe a little bit.

I have seen some scenarios have a single advance lead to multiple units, each tied to a different civilazation. For example, I would like the advance "exotic ants" to allow construction of "stinging fire ants" for the fire-ants tribe, and "jumping jacks" for the bulldogs. Is this possible, or just fantasy? I'm sure that I can do it with multiple advances, but don't want to use up all of the tech slots necessarily.

[Cyrion]

Yes, you can do it quite easily, and here is how:

1) give a civ-sepcific tech to each tribe: "fire-ants" or "bulldogs", as well as "not fire-ants", "not bulldogs" etc to all others

2) make "exotic ants" the prerequisite for both units, but make "stinging fire ants" obsoleted by "not fire-ants" and "jumping jacks" obsoleted by "not bulldogs".

And it's done...

[biru biru]

That's excellent! thanks. I'm sure that that explains the civ-specific units in "Colonization", and some other scenarios.

This could be useful, thanks for the tip Cyrion.

[Cyrion]

You're welcome Biru Biru!

BTW: there is a french (? not sure) writer who wrote a book (actually there are 3 books) called "les fourmis", which translates as "Ants" and which could be a good source of inspiration for your scen (should you need some more inspiration... ). The name of the guy is Bernard Werber

[biru biru]

Link to excerpt for Bernard, pretty cool! could be seen as the theme for this scenario... people helping on this project can give it a quick read.

http://www.bernardwerber.com/intro_en.html

[biru biru]

Having some difficutlties with the advances editor. Snipped 7 advances out of the tech tree, called them "Leaf-Cutter
Genome", "Weaver Genome", etc. Used the 7 Extra Adv slots for "Not-Leaf-Cutter", "Not-Weaver", etc. For some reason that I cannot guess at, these, and only these, 14 advances do not show up under the "edit technologies" tab when I try to start each tribe with the correct combination.

I think there are still some bugs in this game.

[Broken_Erika]

the "not civ1, not civ2" techs cannot be researched, they are ment to be used as a way to make certain units only buildable by a certain civ, i learned that one from steph,

[biru biru]

hey guys, good news is "advances" issues are resoved, after a little bit of experimenting. Bad news is, thereUs lots of room now for more tribe-specific units. scenario needs unit graphics, and now the more the merrier (up to the UNITS limit, i suppose)