Designing a scenario

[Elensar]

I'm musing over a fantasy scenario I've been working on the ideas for a while, and right not just curious on the mechanics of it.

How does one make a scenario in ToT? MPG has the "Scenario editor" in the game, but ToT doesn't.

If there's a walkthrough or the like, I'd love to see it.

Also: Is there any reason to make a scenario in MPG over ToT in terms of how the game is designed?

I'm running into the (minor) problem that due to the size of the humans/elves I'm creating that it would probably be good to use ToT, since otherwise the spears (for spear bearing units) will probably be too short.

Otherwise, not enough to really ask for help just yet - though if anyone is interested I can post some LotR based units I'm working on (which if I make this scenario may be edited to be something else, or I might do a LotR scenario like Favoured Flight's RotK scenario - which is quite tempting.) just to show what I do have down.

[civ2units]

I´m now only working with TOT, because there are much more possibilities than in MGE. For example you have more free units, you can give nearly every unit an own sound file, you have much more event space, also flags and the graphics are much more better (TOT use 24bit) than those in MGE (only 256 colours). That´s most of the reasons, I´m only using TOT for my scenarios.

Before I start with designing a scenario, I think about how I could realize it in civilization. What do I need, how many changes do I have to make in the rules.txt, labels.txt, etc... Are you using the civ tech-tree or do you make a complete new one. How many units and what should they do, what events will you include to make the scenario more interesting? These and maybe more questions should be answered before really starting with the scenario design. And always have many patience when working on the scenario.

[McMonkey]

I agree with Civ2units. The only way you can finish a scenario is to have a very clear plan of what you want to achieve. If you know exactly what you are aiming to accomplish you can break up the building process into manageable chunks and work your way through. If you don't have a clear concept you will be overwhelmed by the amount of work required!


You have to consider:
- The type of scenario (Empire builder, wargame, quest etc...)
- Is it suited to the Civ II game engine (IE the Western front of WWI is hard to replicate, Blitzkrieg warfare in WWII is much easier!)
- What are the objectives of the game

You can edit most of the files (text documents and images) directly without the editor. In fact I found the editor created many problems so I eventually taught myself to edit the files directly and it turned out to be much easier.

[Elensar]

Well, first I want to make sense of how to make scenarios at all, then I'm going to start figuring out exactly what I want to do with it.

No point planning out an elaborate scenario without being able to make a scenario.

So that is the question. How does one do this? Does one just take the "Rules" txt for instance and start changing numbers?

[techumseh]

Here's a tip on making ToT scenarios that I started some time ago, but haven't completed: http://sleague.apolyton.net/index.ph...Time_scenarios It covers a couple of the major things you need to know. Also read William Keenan's tips carefully.

As far as a basic scenario in ToT, you start out exactly like MGE, using a premade map, selecting your opponents, and saving as a scenario. Work off your save game, not your scenario file, and regularly save your game as a (the) scenario.

You will need a good graphic program like Paintshop Pro to edit your city, terrain and unit art, and changes to Rules txt. and Events txt. must be made manually in Notepad.

[techumseh]

Try this link instead. http://sleague.apolyton.net/index.ph..._Time_scenario

[Elensar]

Thanks, I'll take a look at those and ask if I have any specific questions not covered - there's enough ToT scenarios out there that people seem to know how to do things.

[Elensar]

Okay, specific question.

I know that you can edit the units (bitmap) picture and alter how the game displays things in the pedia. How does one make it so that the graphics in the game match that?

[techumseh]

It's automatic, or am I misunderstanding you?

[civ2units]

Do you mean something like this (civilopedia in game):

Like Techumseh wrote, it fits automatically when loading a scenario/savegame.

[Elensar]

If I edit the file, and start a new (regular) game, it thinks it still has the old file, though.

The civilopedia shows the changes, but the units actually displayed on the game map don't.

Not so in Multiplayer gold, though...a change to the file shows up in game.

[AGRICOLA]

I've had occasional problems with editing the units file. Usually, either exiting TOT and reloading it or exiting the scen and reloading the save fixes the problem.


Re: TOT Pedia display

YECCHHH!!! There is nothing better than icons of brown horses on a dark brown background. I'm convinced that the fatally ugly and cheerless palette used in all TOT displays was selected by a manic depressive who suffers from the consequences of spending his childhood lost in D&D dungeons.

How about switching to something more pleasing to the eye, like the vanilla MGE display?

[Elensar]

Does that work when editing the default (Original) units?

Edit: Apparently not. The civilopedia shows them fine, but not the game display.

As for the background for the default colors: What I really want to know is why after designing ToT to support far better and more colorful units, the unit quality was not improved between ToT and original.

The background is fine (except for dark brown horses or other things) - I'd prefer a lighter version but not all the way to multiplayer gold, but sheesh.

[AGRICOLA]

Sorry, but I don't know about any original TOT files. I have never played with any of the original crap graphics files. All the relevant graphics files in my TOT folder have been edited to present a rosier outlook on life.

For scens I have a set of edited Cities, Icons, People and Terrain1 files from which I can paste over particularly objectionable sections of the files that come with the scen.

IMHO, the TOT Pedia display does an incredible disservice to fairline's superb unit icons. Half the fine detail is lost in the background murk.

[Elensar]

Let me rephrase that...default/Original as in "Original game", not as in the original (loathesome - thank the saints for Fairline) graphics.

If I try and start a game with the edited file (Fairline's works fine, so I must be doing something wrong), the civilopedia displays it just fine, the game...

Said file is set to be blank (for now), but its odd that the game thinks I'm using Fairline's altered:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g129/Galrein/Screenshot.jpg