You don't need the source code to make Civ2 better...

[Mercator]

Originally posted by Tigey
I also hate to play Mr Negativity, but I really think that people shouldn't get too excited about the possibility of more than 7 civs. It might be possible to make the barbs playable in a limited sense, but I strongly doubt the Civ2 engine could handle more than the current maximum number of Civs, again due to memory limitations, and the various ingame framework (ie: I doubt all 9 civs would show up in diplomacy, in Cheat mode, etc). Of course, it would be fantastic if it could be done, and I'd be over the moon to be proved wrong, but I just don't want anyone to be too disappointed if it isn't possible...

Technically, everything can be done without the source code. The main thing is just that the more complex things get, the harder it gets to fix it. Everything would get a lot easier if we had the source code, but even then things would be hard to do. So keep that in mind.

Until now, when had nobody proficient enough to be able to any of this in the first place. And even now, we have just one guy who may or may not be able to do it, due to limited time and/or skill. But because he keeps so quiet about it, we don't really know how much time or skill he has.

But yes, don't get too carried away now.

[Harry Tuttle]

Good things come in small sizes.

[zombielordzero]

although it may take a while, there comes a time when making another engine from the ground up takes less effort that modifiying an existing one. freeciv took that route, as did civ-evo. guess it just depends on what/how much you want to add

[Panda]

I just want to know how he's doing what he's doing so I can have a go.

[Heresson]

It would be great to be able to change and mix abilities of improvements and wonders... And also techs. Like Great wall gives You +50% against Barbarians. But Barbarians are just the ight civ, You can evn play them... So it may be possible to change it so that it'd give You +50% (or -50%, perhaps even other number is possible) against another civ. Like Romans under Heraclius could have -50% against Arabs, or Arabs +50% against Romans and Persians, but not against Khazars or Nubians. You could have a wonder that gives You both happiness and takes/gives You money... ah...

[Mercator]

Originally posted by Panda
I just want to know how he's doing what he's doing so I can have a go.

He's doing more than just hex-editing, I'm sure. You'd better start learning assembly.

[Bostero]

re:

He's doing more than just hex-editing, I'm sure. You'd better start learning assembly.

exactly, Mercator you told it, he is doing assembler code.
honestly, i dont think that Skier do something better than actually he discovered...
as you have master knowledges about programming, you know that assembler consist to replace some symbols, comparitions, etc. this way you get to do work some strange behaviours, you can't add more bytes or remove more bytes from the civ2.exe, cracking an executable doesnt consist implementing new structures, so how do you think you can add new features this way???? i had cracked many exe's just for fun, and it's useful to do minor things like replacing little label strings, "ignore" some instructions changing parameteres, for example "the insert cd in your drive..."
things like these, but do you really know WHAT IS CHANGING AN ENTIRE STRUCTURE TO ADD MORE THAN 7 CIVS???? this is like DNA structure, if you change a little parameter, say 1 "atom" , you will get to work something, but you will have to see all the things that also needs to be changed in order to make work all correctly. this is the same thing that is happening when you try to alter an *.exe file, you have broken a "limit" to add more cities, but right now lot of things are not working correctly and the exe was cursed to do other internal operations....

Merc, can you give me a solution to this bug??? the engine doesnt recognize units supported beyond the 256 city. if you check the "civ2 file format", in the unit structure, the "home city" field is an unsigned byte type, so how the engine would have to write/read this field for an unit supported by the 345 city for example, it would need an "integer" (two byte) type.
Assembler is too far to redesign this kind of things...

and personally i see skier too selfish in some way, i had asked him to share all what he discovered, write a document about the civ2.exe specs, and even i asked what was he doing, he ignored all my questions, too sad, this is not the true spirit of a programmer, sharing is a very important part of this, if someone fails with something, at least, you can use your previous work to go on....
really a pitty

[Skyer]

OK, guys, you have insisted on it. You have made it. You want to think, that those changes can't be made - that's your choice. I will make changes for myself, and will not post any of them on any forum.

[Mercator]

Nooo! Skyer, please don't!

Originally posted by Bostero
as you have master knowledges about programming, you know that assembler consist to replace some symbols, comparitions, etc. this way you get to do work some strange behaviours, you can't add more bytes or remove more bytes from the civ2.exe, cracking an executable doesnt consist implementing new structures, so how do you think you can add new features this way????

You're wrong there pal. Assembly language is a programming language like any other. You can do anything you could do with any high-level programming language. It's just gonna be a bit harder. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean Skyer can't do it.

Originally posted by Bostero
Merc, can you give me a solution to this bug??? the engine doesnt recognize units supported beyond the 256 city. if you check the "civ2 file format", in the unit structure, the "home city" field is an unsigned byte type, so how the engine would have to write/read this field for an unit supported by the 345 city for example, it would need an "integer" (two byte) type.
Assembler is too far to redesign this kind of things...

Yes, I can give you a solution. Change the data type from a byte to an unsigned integer. You just said it yourself. Voila! How exactly to do that in assembly I have no idea. But then I don't know assembly, and neither do you, clearly.

[curtsibling]

Originally posted by Skyer
OK, guys, you have insisted on it. You have made it. You want to think, that those changes can't be made - that's your choice. I will make changes for myself, and will not post any of them on any forum.

One or two individuals do not represent us all, Skyer.

Please stay with us, as the majority of the CIV2 posters
here are really interested in what you have to offer...

[Sarsstock]

I agree with Curt completely, I don't know this Bostero person but I can asure you he doesn't speak for the people who've been hardcore fans of this game for the last decade now, the type of people who saw numerous "unbreakable" design and gameplay bariers smashed over the years much to our delight.

If you want to find a forum where your work with the exe file you've done will be given the respect it deserves then you need look no further than this forum my friend.

I'm sure all the respectable members of this forum will agree with me on this one, if you believe this is possible we will gladly entertain any and such possibility.

[Exile]

To Skyer . . . . .

This forum is the domain of people like myself, Curt, Case, Arth, Henrik, Merc, Stephan, Boco, Eiv, John, Tech, and a few others.

I don't know who this bostero person is.

Who cares what he thinks?

Has he ever created a scenario?

All of the others I mentioned HAVE, and, taken together, we've all created the vast majority of recent scenarios available on the various websites that are there FOR ANYONE TO DOWNLOAD AND ENJOY.

I am CERTAIN that this esteemed company would be willing to create a whole new range of scenarios . . . .

USING YOUR SKILLS, GENIUS, and TOOLS.

Don't allow a fool whom no one here either knows or cares about to affect your decision to offer the rest of us, the SCENARIO DESIGNERS, your invaluable contributions.

[Heresson]

:vomit: at entire situation

[Broken_Erika]

great, i guess more of us need to learn programming, and try this, and next time someone starts improving civ like he did then some of us will need to keep our mouths shut.

[Arthedain]

[moderator]Then again, no talking about such things here you nasty Arthedain. [/moderator]

Hmm, to be honest I didn't know it was completely unlegal. Well, I it did cross my mind, but then I thought, why would a civ-site like that host it? I beg your pardon oh great and worshipful admin of our beloved forums.

And skyer, I hope you continue to try and make civ2 for the better, and share your progress with us all.

As many before me have mentioned, a sea-unit that could carry both air- and land-units would be great, especially for space-scenarios.