help w alien vs human scenario

[Jerec]

This thread is specifically for help on the scenario I'm currently making, invading aliens (Hodads) vs. humans (Global Resistance). If anyone doesn't already know, this is the first scen I've created, so I'll most likely need a lot of help. Currently my scen is like this...

This is on a small world map, with only the widespread, dense urban centers depicted having cities, these include: Europe including Kiev, the U.S., and the Asian coast including Japan and Australia.

Actually, the Hodads aren't invading; they HAVE invaded, and hold the major areas mentioned above plus a large capital in the center of Greenland. The Global Resistance have five cities in remote areas- Honolulu has been renamed Command Base 1, with the rest called Base 2-5.

I've created a mini tech tree (7 advances) for the Hodads, with roughly a unit per tech (and I'm still adding units and am open to suggestions).

As for the humans, they have a fully fleshed out selection of units immediately available. Currently I've just been replacing the vanilla units with futuristic stuff, I haven't started renaming/restructuring techs beyond the Hodad tech tree. I have a vague idea that the Global Resistance should just stay in the Fundamentalist gov and not research a thing.

The in-game editor is great for a newbie like me, and I'm using it to create events, which currently include-restrictions on both civs to make contact, and the creation of 3 alien units every 6 turns in different places.


Okay, here's what I need help on-

1) I put a few questions to McMonkey about changing a city icon, and he gave me that (to past a new icon over the other) and other useful stuff. Unfortunately, I have a basic problem- WHERE do I find the city icon to paste over? (The one to be trashed, not the one I want to insert.)

2) I have no idea how to cut/paste sound files. I tried to do it on the editor menu, it didn't work for some reason. I checked the Sleague site, and it had an article on basic cutting and pasting, but when I clicked on the name it wasn't there (corrupted or just missing?). So I need a complete set of instructions how to cut/paste. I don't need this immediately, as I am working on the cities and alien units currently.

3) McMonkey also said that I should have a copy of cities, icons, terrain, units, and rules. I have the units and rules, but I'm stumped at what to do for the missing stuff. Or do I get that stuff from elsewhere? Someone, please tell me if I'm just being a dummy!

4) My human unit selection is finished, except for three walkers. I asked if anybody had walker pics on the sci-fi thread, and wonder of wonders torbk had four walker pics originally made by Tanelorn (thanks for making those Tanelorn!). I was all ready to use them, but the size was wrong. Not 640 x 256. I have no idea how to convert them to the right size. Help!

And that's my list. Guys, thanks for being here to help upstarts like me who have the audacity to call themselves designers!

(I've posted the walkers below.)

[McMonkey]

1) Have you got a folder for your scenario? If yes then copy the cities.gif from the original game (IE Left click on the original cities.gif and copy then go into your scenario folder and right click, paste). You can then right click on the cities.gif in your folder and open with Paint. Next open the cities.gif you wish to use with Paint, cut out the cities you want and paste them into your cities.gif then press save. All you have to remember is to keep the green boxes aligned and they should show up in your game.

2) Inside your scenario folder create a new folder called SOUND. You can then copy sound files from other peoples scenarios (go into their sound folder, pick the one you wish to use then right click and copy. Go back to your SOUND folder and right click and paste. You will need to keep the same names for the sound files (EG Mchnguns). There are a lot of good guides in the Scenario League Tips section:

SL Tips

3) If I were you I would copy all the files you need from the main CivII folder and paste them into your scenario folder. Then you can open them up and play around with them without messing up the original game!

4) The walkers are the right size but you will not be able to open them with the FW editor as they are not set out in the standard CivII units grid that FW editor reads from. This is where Paint comes in handy. Have you found Paint (or an equivalent program) yet?

[Jerec]

Yes, I have found Paint. Thanks again, McMonkey!

Okay, NOW I fully understand what you're talking about with the rules, cities gif., etc. There's a master file in the Civ. 2 folder and I make a copy of those cities gif., etc. and paste/alter them in my folder. Wonderful!

Sound. Got it. I just have to have the sound I want already pasted into a sound folder, and then use the in-game editor to assign the sounds to various units. Whippee!

I'm all ears on how to change the walker units to the grid layout Mr. master!

[McMonkey]

Just open the file with the four walkers with Paint. Use the select command (top right in toolbar = doted line square) and make a square around the unit you want the right click and pick copy. Next open your Unit file with paint, select the 'select' tool, right click anywhere on the image and choose paste. You should see the walker you have just copied appear, drag it into the relevant unit space making sure the green outline matches up. Next save the file and load your game up. You should see the walker has taken the place of the unit you have pasted it over!

This is the easiest way to do it, the other way would be to copy and paste the units into a standard units grid then use the FW editor to insert them. As far as I am concerned this would be a much more complicated method than just using paint to insert them manually!

The only advantage I can see in using the FW editor would be in creating events. Even this is simpler to do directly be editing the events file (once you have got used to the system). Just look at other peoples events and copy them, all you need to do is alter the unit names etc to match up with the names in your rules file.

Here's an example of a create unit event:

@IF
TURNINTERVAL
interval=2
@THEN
CREATEUNIT
unit=Skythian Horse
owner=Barbarians
veteran=yes
homecity=NONE
locations
238,74
225,51
217,65
endlocations
@ENDIF

Edited event:

@IF
TURNINTERVAL
interval=2 (alter to how often you want units to appear)
@THEN
CREATEUNIT
unit=Skythian Horse (Name of unit from your rules file Ie: Walker)
owner=Barbarians (Name of tribe IE: Aliens/Humans)
veteran=yes (Yes or No)
homecity=NONE (Or name of city IE: Kiev)
locations
238,74 (Grid reference where you want unit to appear)
225,51 (Alternative grid refs can be added so units will still appear if the first grid ref is blocked by enemy units)
endlocations
@ENDIF

All the events can be edited in a similar way. Have a look at the events file you have created using the editor.

It should start with the line: @BEGINEVENTS
and end with the line: @ENDEVENTS

In between these two lines you can add your events. Each event consists of a Trigger (@IF) and an action (@THEN). Use the FW editor to create several types of event then open your events file to see what they look like. Once you understand what the event is telling CivII to do you should be able to edit it much quicker and easier by altering the events file directly!

[McMonkey]

An example of how to cut'n'paste units into the units.gif:

[Jerec]

Excellent explanation McMonkey. Pics and everything! I couldn't help but understand.

And now that you've explained all the basics, I can get on with throwing a beta version together. I'm roughly half done, but still need all the sound and a little polishing, so it might be a few weeks.

Thanks again for the load of help!

[Jerec]

I apologize beforehand for my fustration...


I pasted three of the walkers into the unit grid of my scen. I save. I load the game. Up pops a message: "Image not 640 x 480 x 256 color". All my units in the scen revert back to the default images.

ARRRGH!!

When I first tried to put my walker images in without the grid, two Error messages popped up-Invalid File Format, and "Image not 640 x 480 x 256 color". They didn''t go in, so I didn't lose anything that time. They were supposed to be in the right size, so I pasted them in the grid, and that took care of at least the Invalid File Format error.

What is the matter!??

Again, I apologize for my fustration, but it took me an hour and a half setting things right, time in which I should have been doing homework.

[McMonkey]

It could be a problem with the format you are saving the units as. I am not sure what FW likes. I usually save my files as .gif but FW may like .bmp.

At the moment I am waiting for a new copy of FW to arrive so I cannot check. Can anyone else answer this query, Harry Tuttle?

[Jerec]

I need a little advice on another matter. There are only cities in major urban centers-Europe, U.S., Asian coast. Everywhere else seemed too empty. So I created an immovable Hodad unit-Labor Camp. I'm stumped on what the prize should be when the human player destroys one of these. Cash? Units? What usually works better? Anybody have a preference?

[fairline]

Originally posted by Jerec
I apologize beforehand for my fustration...


I pasted three of the walkers into the unit grid of my scen. I save. I load the game. Up pops a message: "Image not 640 x 480 x 256 color". All my units in the scen revert back to the default images.

ARRRGH!!

When I first tried to put my walker images in without the grid, two Error messages popped up-Invalid File Format, and "Image not 640 x 480 x 256 color". They didn''t go in, so I didn't lose anything that time. They were supposed to be in the right size, so I pasted them in the grid, and that took care of at least the Invalid File Format error.

What is the matter!??

MS Paint is pretty poor at getting the right format for civ to read. Were you saving as a gif or bmp? If it's a gif it needs to be non-interlaced vers 87a IIRC. Either way, you need to load in the civ2 palette into your units file to have it display correctly.

Post your units file and I'll see if I can see what the problem is

BTW, I'd recommend getting Paint Shop Pro for graphics editing. You can pick up obsolete, but perfectly functional versions of PSP for $15 - 20 or so in the UK.

[fairline]

Originally posted by McMonkey
It could be a problem with the format you are saving the units as. I am not sure what FW likes. I usually save my files as .gif but FW may like .bmp.

At the moment I am waiting for a new copy of FW to arrive so I cannot check. Can anyone else answer this query, Harry Tuttle?

There aren't too many differences between FW and MGE McM other than multiplayer and IIRC larger events capability. Both can use gifs or bmps, with preference given to bmps if both formats of a units file exist in the same folder.

[Harry Tuttle]

Post the file and let us take a look. As was said, it might be a problem with using MS Paint and saving as a gif. It could also be a palette problem. I would use bitmaps exclusively. They are the easiest to use in my opinion. Try using bitmaps from other scenarios to serve as a base to start.

[Jerec]

Thanks for coming in to help, Fairline.

The walkers are in bmp format. I attached them to the first post on this thread.

I'll look into PSP. Thanks for the tip.

A great pic of a walker I just had to post...[IMG]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:M...or_3_cover.jpg[/IMG]

[Jerec]

Thank you too, HT. Didn't see you at first. I'm still a little awed by all the help I can get on here.

Just in case I've attached the walker pic again.

[Jerec]

Forget about my post talking about the Hodad Labor Camps. Figured that out myself.

I'm only waiting for help with those walker pics now. After they're in place, my first beta goes out to test the balance between civs and the units. All the events are in pertaining to the units, and a few others besides. Still haven't gotten around to sound. That's going to be tedious.

If anybody happens to have an futuristic/alien pic that's stupendous, I would deeply appreciate it being shared. I've got 3-4 unit slots left.

Good luck finding out what's wrong with that walker pic guys.