Conquests - Using Landmarks to make more terrain types!

[Colwyn]

Heard a bit about this was wondering if anyone has experimented with it.

I'd imagine its like the extra resources in Civ2 build on a normal tile. Hope though that the defensive bonus you apply to the landmark actually works in Conquests

Be the first and post a example screen shot in this thread if you can manage it.

Ie Normal terrain, then terrain landmark with eg a bunker (picture and defensive bonus)

[Amesjustin]

I have done this in my C3C mod I just started. Rocky Desert vs. Sandy Desert, regular sea vs. Coral Reef.....

Can't change the graphics, just the values.

I also added a Clay-packed grasslands - gives +1 to shields, but irrigation only gives +1 food (regular grasslands irrigation is +3

the defense value changes work as well - I have some negative defense values in 1 or 2 terrains (essentially attack bonuses.)

[Colwyn]

Can't change the gfx for landmarks?

Weird how are you supposed to know that they exist unless you put your cursor over them in the game.

Sure you can't change the gfx somehow to indicate the landmark exists visually.

I know we can't do it in the editor but I've a feeling it could be possible if an experienced terrain modder looked into it?

[Amesjustin]

A more experienced modder than me can, maybe. depends on the file structure. I am out of state at the moment, but I will take a look when I get home next week.

What I am doing is I created a huge random map, and am in the process of replacing some (about 30%) of the tiles that have landmark cousins with thos landmarks.

You are right - the only way to tell which type you have is by right clicking the tile, but that isn't so bad. Realistic as well, since most people would thoroughly inspect the surrounding land before building a city on it.

[Colwyn]

Landmarks with GFX are 100% needed

for scenario builders so you can have interesting terrain "non worker buildable" landmarks with +/- bonus's

ie bunkers for a WW2 game ie Margiot line in France
special refineries with big shield bonus's.
etc

anything that you can put at the start of the scenario that you don't want to be build by any workers in a nut shell.

Anyone who figures out this problem will be doing the whole mod community a big favor, who's it going to be??

Maybe Amesjustin?

[WarpStorm]

You can change the graphics in the same fashion as any other graphics file in the game. It is a little trickier, though as all the tiles must connect seamlessly with both the regular and landmark versions (unless you don't care about things like that). I've modded the LM_Forest a tiny bit in my mod as it was the most commonly used one in the Conquests I play.

Even if you don't do this you can still see which tiles are landmarks by turning on "Show Food and Shields". This will mark them with a gold diamond (and a little green line that shouldn't be there - which incidentally I've fixed, download it here)

[Amesjustin]

Well there ya go - it can be done. I knew Warpstorm or Snoopy or Womocks or Banestar or any of the other terrain Gods would have the answer already.

Like I said I haven't looked at those pcx files yet - I had my C3C for 6 hours before I had to fly out - most of that time was spent updating my video drivers and reinstalling just so I could play.

I think Banestar posted some kind of terrain modding tool somewhere - havent used it and I have no idea if it is C3C compatible, but I am sure it is a worthwhile download.

[Colwyn]

Cool

Thanks I'm dying to hear how it will eventually be done, (adding in gfx for landmarks) as little pics for say

a bunker, oil refinary, minefield layer etc will make scenarios special and visually acceptable.

Let me elaborate that I'm talking about having a small gfx overlay on the existing lankmark tile, that way everything will still link up. It would just be a normal plains gfx but with a small picture depicting the lankmark.

WOuldn't this be the easiest best way to do it? But why then didn't they do it for the 'cedars of babylon' in the games provided scenarios?

Thoughts Warpstorm?

[Amesjustin]

I just had a thought - Snoopy has 2 different awesome grassland forest tilesets, his and Womocks are increidible mountains, and I know there are Sand Dune Tilesets out there for deserts - if we could use these alternate tilesets for landmarks we would be STYLING baby!.\


Yeah that settles it I am doing a full terrain Mod when I get back....

[Colwyn]

This is it!

I think the big question we have here is:

Does landmark terrains have their own seperate gfx to that of the non landmark terrain that you can modify slightly to depict the landmark in question?????

So if we have a max of 7 landmarks (I think thats whats in the editor) then we should see if its possbile to mod a extra set of 7gfx tilesets for them in the game (even if there the same at the moment)

comments


[QUOTE] Originally posted by Amesjustin
if we could use these alternate tilesets for landmarks we would be STYLING baby!.\

[WarpStorm]

Re: Cool

Originally posted by Colwyn
But why then didn't they do it for the 'cedars of babylon' in the games provided scenarios?

I'm guessing it's because Breakaway only had so much time, money, and artists to get things done and there were higher priority items on their list of stuff (UUs, Leaderheads, etc.).

Here is an example showing Forests and LM_Forests.

The diamonds appear when you are in the editor or when you choose to "Show Food and Shields" on the map.

[Kuciwalker]

Did you add the diamonds, or did Civ3 produce them?

[Colwyn]

So it is possbile, well done!

We can see how we have 2 forest tiles one the normal one and the other the landmark version!

Final questions Warpstorm, in conquests is there already gfx for the landmarks in a conquests folder or does the modder have to add it in as a new terrain/landmark type. ie copy exiting forest terrain, paste it and them edit to the landmark version you want.

From what I see there are already 7 landmarks to choose I hope you can confirm that the gfx for them are already in conquests.

(If so we could straight edit them!)

Not wanting full instruction but can you describe the steps in what you did to create the gfxs above.

Thanks again

Paul

[WarpStorm]

Originally posted by skywalker
Did you add the diamonds, or did Civ3 produce them?

Civ3 did, however they can be edited also.

[Colwyn]

Re: Re: Cool

Originally posted by WarpStorm


I'm guessing it's because Breakaway only had so much time, money, and artists to get things done and there were higher priority items on their list of stuff (UUs, Leaderheads, etc.).

I still can't belive that none of the supplied scenarios made proper use of landmarks I mean it would take all of a" hour" (if the process is possible and thats why I just cannot belive it could be so easy) to overlay a small cedar pic and have the whole community going how cool modifieable landmark terrains!