Firaxis, please incorporate a built-in modswapper

[The Rusty Gamer]

Firaxis, in an upcoming patch, could you please incorporate a mod selector on the new game screen. That is, have the equivalent of a built-in modswapper. The way I see it would work as follows:

A new folder within the main CIV III directory could be created called (say) "Mods". Within that folder would be a different folder for each modification variation which would be named the mod name. This is where the new game screen would look for any mods and give the selection to choose from. And within each of these folders would be the files and directory structure identical to the main CIV III folder, but only those files that have been modified for the mod. In other words, the game will use the normal default settings except for files found within the selected mod directory which would override the defaults.

Also, saved games would take note of the mod being used so that you don't have to worry about using the right mod when loading said saved games.

[Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. A kludge is to use installshield to do the file copying and have an icon on the desktop that installs/uninstalls it. I'd be interested in hearing feature requests for a more robust in-game version if you think of any..

Jeff

[Gramphos]

The best would be if you could choose more then one mod for each game, and that you can select a priority order. As first look for the file in Mod1, if not present Look in Mod2, ..., if not present look in Modn, if not present look in the Civ3 base directory.

It could also be good if the units_32.pcx got split into one file for each era or that you are allowed to set unit icon numbers for each era. (not having to move the era-specific icons whenever you add one, and if the icon of one era is empty it should use the era before)

[The Rusty Gamer]

An all-encompassing editor

Also, the editor needs to be enhanced to be an all-encompassing one, to be able to add/delete units, improvements etc, not just replace them, to be able to edit the Civilopedia. When the scenario is saved, any changes for specific files should be detected automatically and the directory structure and aforementioned files created accordingly in their appropriate places where needed within the scenario's own directory.

In other words, we shouldn't have to fiddle around at any level below the editor interface. Ideally, we should never have to open Windows Explorer and start editing, copying, renaming, moving etc.

[The Rusty Gamer]

Randomisation

It would be good to see some variables on the editor being allowed to be randomized too. You could, for instance, define the defense of a unit anywhere from 5 to 7 which would be worked out at runtime.

Also it would be good to see some randomisation in the tech tree, not something that's going to make it go all over the place, but simply being able to specify percentage possibilities for each tech prerequsite.

For instance, for Writing, you say, 100% chance of Alphabet prerequsite, and 50% chance of Masonary as well. You could create either/or situations or say "of these three techs, two are to be prerequsites". In other words, randomization done sensibly and controlled. So we can build sensible tech trees but which vary each time we play.

[The Rusty Gamer]

Shortcut for mods

Could it also be possible to be able to pass a paramenter with the executable, specifiying a BIC file, so that the game would automatically load that scenario? If so, then we could make a shortcut for each mod.

[exsanguination]

another idea: I think the quickstart option should apply to mods as well. If I played with a mod last time, if I press quickstart, it should load that mod with the same specifications as I did last time. Or, at least, if I changed the names in the civ selection screen, it will remember those changes as well.

[Cimberbe]

Your wish is my command. See thread below.

When we get a full-featured editor it needs to let us write header information in the bic files which would then pass along to save files so that the game can optionally show only the save files for the current mod.

[The Rusty Gamer]

Random mod utility?

I'd also like to see an option to pick a mod at random in, say, a specified folder. This way you could have a a number of mods with slight variations to the tech tree, units etc and you may not even know what you're playing until some way into the game.

In this regards, a utility could be written to look at every BIC file in a specifed folder (default is the CIV III scenario folder), select one at random, and copy it as RANDOM.BIC. Then when you run the game, you select the RANDOM.BIC scenario. Unfortunately, I don't have the means to write this myself but I'm sure it would be pretty easy for someone to do.

[Imp. Montezuma]

English/Russian switcher

Removed