question on adding new units - error reading pedialcon

[bigvic]

ok, so i am trying to do a mod for conquests with unit flcs from a variety of sources, including ptw, various conquests.

1. i add a new unit in editor, give it PRTO name
2. i create folder, paste unit info - t-34 in this case - all is now in conquests/conquests folder
3. copy and paste info from pedialcon, teturkan, to same, copied from conquest, in scenario folder, which is same name as scenario, in conquest/conquest folder, do same with civilopedia info
4. keep geting "missing entry in "text\pedialcon.txt animname_PRTO_T-34" (trying to start with that unit)
5. to test, have made said unit available - it shows up on build flag of city right before above message appears and game shuts down
6. ok, understand tutorial, i think, but i want to do something a bit different -


what is wrong?


thanks for the patience with a hack newbie at this level of modding!

[Gramphos]

I'm not sure if animname is covered by the tutorial...

Basicly you have to add two lines to pedia icons. txt

#ANIMNAME_PRTO_NEW_UNIT
FolderName of unit animation

In vanilla Civ3 this is always the name of the unit unchangeable, and if you follow the tutorial and create a folder with the unitname you should simply enter that name there.

[Willem]

Re: question on adding new units - error reading pedialcon

Originally posted by bigvic
what is wrong?

You'll find those lines that Gramphos mentioned near the bottom of the pediaicons file. Every unit has one, just take a look and you should understand how it works. This line, #ANIMNAME_PRTO_NEW_UNIT,
has to correspond to the PRTO entry you placed in the editor.

[Greg1]

Is there a difference between a mod and a scenario with modified rules? You can tell by the level of this question that I really don't know what I'm doing.

I like to write scenarios with modified rules but I want to make use of units from other scenarios. The lack of appropriate animations causes the game to crash (why they offer you the icon without giving you the animation, I don't know). Is there an easy way to just copy the data into some folder and include the right link in the editor? For instance, to get the Yamabushi from the Sengoku scenario, isn't there some way to just copy a file from one folder to another so that the animation is available?

I know that people have been discussing how to handle animations but I'm wondering if things are different if you aren't making a mod. (As I say, I'm not even certain that what I'm making *isn't* a mod).

[bigvic]

yeah - gotta say "they" should have done better here
still can't get it 2 work - is there some issue between ptw units (T-34, nam ely) and conquests?

[Willem]

Originally posted by Greg1
Is there a difference between a mod and a scenario with modified rules?

The difference between a mod and a scenario is that a mod just makes changes to the current rules. A scenario is like we see in Conquests, instance the WWII one. It doesn't really follow the real game, but sets up a particular time period in which to play. There are some people that would argue that we can't create true scenarios with Civ 3 because of it's lack of events scripting.

The lack of appropriate animations causes the game to crash (why they offer you the icon without giving you the animation, I don't know).

You must be doing something wrong, because all units have animations.

Is there an easy way to just copy the data into some folder and include the right link in the editor? For instance, to get the Yamabushi from the Sengoku scenario, isn't there some way to just copy a file from one folder to another so that the animation is available?

Yes there is, just copy the folder you want, add a PRTO entry in the editor, then add the lines that Gramphos mentioned in the pediaicons.txt file, with the name of the folder you want to use. It's really quite simple once you get the gist of it.

[Willem]

Originally posted by bigvic
yeah - gotta say "they" should have done better here
still can't get it 2 work - is there some issue between ptw units (T-34, nam ely) and conquests?

No, nothing has changed as far as adding new uniits to the game is concerned.

[bigvic]

thanks 2 all. think i will start over completely.

ok, i will
1 copy all unit folders not included in conquests that will be in the mod (yes - it will be a MOD - thanks for the clarification,
2. place them in their own older in conquests/conquests (or better in conquests scenarios? - ah there it is, mod or scenario confusion)
3. copy folder witlh pdeialcons - Text, that is, into same folder unit folder is in.
4. which leads to questions
a.
fo unit animations - just copy the foder that has the unit names, right? anything else?
b. copy text from basic conquuest foder - copy whole folder? ok?
5. for what i am doing, just really importing info already out there, will go, say, to teturhan pedia file, copy t-34 lines and paste to my scenario pedia file in appropriate places
a. one from/to around the middle of the document, one from around the end - question: is that all. i place it at bottom, though have tryed elsewher which does not seem to matter

6. then i do the same with the civilopedia file, simply copy from teturkhan that one big part, right - anything else here?

7. hmmm, here's one that bugs me a bit - i double check the scenario entry, PRTO_T-34, in this case. i've set it up to be available immediately for price of 1 shield (shoulf i make it 10?), blah blah blah - i get the editor, except for that "flavor" thing - huh?

8. i spend all evening loading and reloading with a friend, agonizing o\ver every little nitpicking freakin thing it could be and come up with nothing, get bored and play a hotseat game of 1. rise of rome conquest, taking ai powers egypt and celts (quite a challenge!), then when another friend shows up, a 3-man hotseat of napoleanic scenario w/ france, england and russia (that is a great one for multiplayer, btw)


ok, must take a real life break tonight, should be back in a day or 2

btw, thanks again

[Willem]

Originally posted by bigvic

2. place them in their own older in conquests/conquests (or better in conquests scenarios? - ah there it is, mod or scenario confusion)

It would be best to have everything in the Scenario folder for Conquests. If you go into Scenario Properties in the editor, you can designate which folder the game should look into for custom art, text etc.

4. which leads to questions
a.
fo unit animations - just copy the foder that has the unit names, right? anything else?

That's right, all you need is the folder with the animations and sounds, and the pediaicons.txt file with the correct entry at the bottom of the page.

a. one from/to around the middle of the document, one from around the end - question: is that all. i place it at bottom, though have tryed elsewher which does not seem to matter

You only need to add one entry, the one that Gramphos pointed out, which you'll find at the bottom of the page.

6. then i do the same with the civilopedia file, simply copy from teturkhan that one big part, right - anything else here?

You don't really need to add anything to the civilopedia file if you don't want to. It will just mean that you get no info on the unit if you look it up there. The game will still run without that.

7. hmmm, here's one that bugs me a bit - i double check the scenario entry, PRTO_T-34, in this case. i've set it up to be available immediately for price of 1 shield (shoulf i make it 10?), blah blah blah - i get the editor, except for that "flavor" thing - huh?

1 shield seems a bit to easy in order to make the unit, but it is your mod after all. As for the flavors, it's just a way to set up priorities for the AI so that it will build a Temple instead of a Barracks for instance. Or research Wheel instead of Alphabet. It has no effect on units though.

[bigvic]

ok, thanks, here i go again. oh - t-34 for 1 shield was just to see if it worked - don't worry - heehee

[bigvic]

oh yeah! got it working!

now i need 2 add some techs. guess i'll reurn to tutorial. again, thanks all!