Civilization III BIC file format

[Mercator]

I´ll be adding things later today, hopefully...
Another question: Does anyone here have any idea how long it will take for an acceptible patch, adding scenarios support, to come out?
If it´s gonna take some time, I think we can make a utility to do it ourselves. After all, Civ3 also has savegames, which are in a slightly different format from BIC, and obviously also has city and unit locations etc. in it. Maybe we could also start a thread about the SAV format, and just maybe there will be enough desperate scenario-loving volunteers who can quickly build a utility that can make custom savegames. E.g. it could open up a BIC file, and users can then add units and cities and whatever else is in a savegame and not in a BIC... Even if this would only be a preliminary solution to scenario building, since the scenarios are savegames, they should be loadable in future Civ3 versions, so should be easily converted to scenarios.
I don´t think I´m in the position to do much then, but what do you think? Is this feasible and would there be enough interest to make it work before Firaxis does it?

[Gramphos]

Originally posted by Mercator
I´ll be adding things later today, hopefully...
Another question: Does anyone here have any idea how long it will take for an acceptible patch, adding scenarios support, to come out?
If it´s gonna take some time, I think we can make a utility to do it ourselves. After all, Civ3 also has savegames, which are in a slightly different format from BIC, and obviously also has city and unit locations etc. in it. Maybe we could also start a thread about the SAV format, and just maybe there will be enough desperate scenario-loving volunteers who can quickly build a utility that can make custom savegames. E.g. it could open up a BIC file, and users can then add units and cities and whatever else is in a savegame and not in a BIC... Even if this would only be a preliminary solution to scenario building, since the scenarios are savegames, they should be loadable in future Civ3 versions, so should be easily converted to scenarios.
I don´t think I´m in the position to do much then, but what do you think? Is this feasible and would there be enough interest to make it work before Firaxis does it?

I have been thinking about a SAV editor myself, and I will get the game in two days...

[Mercator]

I updated the info again, and corrected some mistakes.

I have been thinking about a SAV editor myself, and I will get the game in two days...

Great! I should be able to get the game too (the legal version that is), but I´m not sure if I will, there´s so much Civ2 work I still have to do.

I haven´t had much luck finding new things, because Civ3edit keeps crashing on me. I think a Ulead video editor demo screwed with my system files.

[Gramphos]

That unkown long in BLDG is most likely index # of free building in all cities. (Not used by the game, and therefore set to -1 for all)

[Nero Would]

Originally posted by Gramphos
That unkown long in BLDG is most likely index # of free building in all cities. (Not used by the game, and therefore set to -1 for all)

I checked it and you are right, that's what it is.

[Mercator]

That´s the 6th value in the building data yes?
What´s the difference between that value and the one after it? What´s it used for? (sorry for my ignorance, I´m not at Civ3 right now )

Oh, and I added it.

[Nero Would]

Originally posted by Mercator
That´s the 6th value in the building data yes?
What´s the difference between that value and the one after it? What´s it used for?

Yes, it's the 6th value. It's used to give a free building to all cities in your empire. The following value gives you a free building in all your cities on the same continent as the Wonder. Firaxis chose to only use the "free buildings on the same continent" bonus (Pyramids/Granary, Sun Tzu's Art of War/Barracks, Hoover Dam/Hydro Plant).

[Gramphos]

What do you think happens If you give a non-wonder a wonder-ability?

[Gramphos]

The governments are NOT fixed lenght. The lenght is determined by the number of govts.

[Nero Would]

Originally posted by Gramphos
The governments are NOT fixed lenght. The lenght is determined by the number of govts.

That's right. I've edited my 12 Nov post to remove the reference to a fixed length and the statement that there are 6 entries in the "Versus" table. Mercator: could you please change this in the main post.

[Nero Would]

I can fill in most of the "unknowns" in Gramphos' 12 November post on the RULE section. The remaining 4 unknown fields do not seem to be displayed in the editor, and I don't know if they are used or not.

bytes	type		value

-------------------------------------------------------

RULE SECTION (General Settings)

 4	char		"RULE"

 4	long		1  (number of rules) 

 for each RULE 

   4	long		Length of RULE-data (not including this value)

   32	long		name of level 1 citysize

   32	long		name of level 2 citysize

   32	long		name of level 3 citysize

   4	long		# of spaceship parts

   for each spaceship part

     4	long		# needed

   4	long		index # of advanced barbarian unit

   4	long		index # of basic barbarian unit

   4	long		index # of barbarian sea unit

   4    long            # cities required to support an army

   4    long            chance of disorder turning to rioting

   4	long		# turns mood affected for each citizen drafted

   4	long		# shields for 1 gold when building wealth

   4	long		defence bonus in fortress

   4	long		# citizens affected by one happy face

   4	long		?? (=50)

   4	long		?? (=2)

   4	long		# shields from clearing forest

   4	long		# gold to hurry 1 shield

   4	long		# shields when sacrificing 1 pop to hurry

   4	long		default difficulty level

   4	long		battle created unit

   4	long		army

   4	long		defense value of building vs bombardment

   4	long		defense value of citizen vs bombardment

   4	long		index # of resource that replaces huts

   4	long		chance of success of intercept mission

   4	long		chance of success of intercept mission vs stealth

   4	long		starting funds

   4	long		?? (=16)

   4	long		# food per citizen per turn

   4	long		defence bonus when defending across a river

   4	long		# turns mood affected for each citizen sacrificed to hurry

   4	long		index # of free unit for expansionist civs

   4	long		index # of unit that each captured pop point converts to

   4	long		movement rate on roads

   4	long		index # of 1st free unit for all civs

   4	long		index # of 2nd free unit for all civs

   4	long		min pop for We Love The King

   4	long		citylevel 1 defense bonus

   4	long		citylevel 2 defense bonus

   4	long		citylevel 3 defense bonus

   4	long		max pop for city level 1

   4	long		max pop for city level 2

   4	long		?? (=1000)

   4	long		defense bonus when fortified

   4	long		number of culture levels

   for each culture level

     64	string		name

   4	long		rate at which borders expand with culture

I think that completes all the sections in civ3mod.bic.

[Dan Magaha FIRAXIS]

I think that completes all the sections in civ3mod.bic.

At least for the time being

Good work, though...


Dan

[Gramphos]

Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS
At least for the time being

Good work, though...


Dan

You (Read Firaxis) have added new sections in the upcoming patch?

[heardie]

Damn, thats mean Dan!

[Mercator]

Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS
At least for the time being

I think that can only be good news!
Any hints?

(sorry for not updating yet, I´ve been lazy, busy and offline)