Adjusting Universal Values in RULES.TXT

[Gatekeeper]

Everyone:

How many of you do this and are successful?

The one time I tried to alter the universal values — by changing the "riot" factor from 6 to 7 — the game refused to launch properly. I then changed the value back to what it had been, but it did no good. The game wouldn't launch properly any more. To make a long story short, I had to reinstall Civ II in order for it to work again. The Mac at the time was a Performa; I now have an iMac.

Gatekeeper

[FlameFlash]

Haven't even dared. I had to edit smacx.txt for a game I was playing with some Windows users (to use custom factions) and eventually I had to go back to the original file because it kept screwing up the game.

Whenever you play with those files you just need to remember to make a copy of the original first... don't think that by just changing it back you'll fix whatever you've done.

[Gatekeeper]

FlameFlash:

Aside from the untouchable universal values, the rest of the file's contents are quite happy to be editable, at least in terms of not crashing the program afterwards. Same goes for the CTY.TEXT file.

Gatekeeper

[FlameFlash]

What are the untouchables?

[Gatekeeper]

FlameFlash:

"Untouchables" was just a reference to the universal values in the RULES.TXT file. I figured that since I had so much trouble adjusting just one of those values, the other values in the same area would cause the same kind of problems if I messed with them. Hence the term "untouchables."

Gatekeeper

[FlameFlash]

*nods* That was what I was wondering... it's too bad you can't play with the values at all to make scenarios or anything though...

[Henrik]

Everything in the rules.txt can be edited, the fact that it didn't work even when you change it back points out that you probably changed something else (you are not allowed to remove @s ;s, etc that might be it).

I've edited all of the rules.txt on numerous occations as I am a scenario writer for civ 2 (I use a mac but make the scenarios for both PC and Mac Users )

[Gatekeeper]

Henrik:

Well, I could've sworn that I only changed the number in that particular universal value regarding happiness; specifically:

"City size for first unhappiness at Chieftain level"

The normal value is 7, and I changed it to 8 in an effort to make Deity more playable and enjoyable (IOW, so my people wouldn't freak the moment a city went from 1 to 2 in size). My assumption was that since 7 was the standard level for Chieftain, it would go:

6 = Warlord
5 = Prince
4 = King
3 = Emperor
2 = Deity

But it didn't work. The program crashed, and I haven't messed with the cosmic values since. Every other alteration I make doesn't bugger things up, though, thank goodness.

Gatekeeper

[Gatekeeper]

Henrik:

BTW, what sort of "special" things does the AI do at Deity level that it can't do at other levels? For example, I know the AI will not bribe cities at the King level, but does so at the Emperor level.

Gatekeeper

[Henrik]

First, sorry for not replying sooner, I don't check the mac forums here too often

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
"City size for first unhappiness at Chieftain level"

The normal value is 7, and I changed it to 8 in an effort to make Deity more playable and enjoyable (IOW, so my people wouldn't freak the moment a city went from 1 to 2 in size). My assumption was that since 7 was the standard level for Chieftain, it would go:

6 = Warlord
5 = Prince
4 = King
3 = Emperor
2 = Deity

But it didn't work. The program crashed, and I haven't messed with the cosmic values since. Every other alteration I make doesn't bugger things up, though, thank goodness.

Gatekeeper

Strange, when I just tried this it worked perfectly, and after testing a value of eight in that field will cause cities to riot at size 4 in deity.

Could you try these rules?

[Gatekeeper]

Henrik:

I hold you directly responsible for my accelerated aging while I waited in this forum 24/7 for more than a month for your reply!

Anyway, I tried to DL the attachment link you provided, but got a "Page Not Found" error.

Gatekeeper

[FlameFlash]

try again, gatekeeper... it worked for me.

[Gatekeeper]

FlameFlash:

I still get the "Page Not Found" error. I suppose I have to access 'Poly via apolyton.net instead of the IP address in order for DLs to work.

Gatekeeper

[Henrik]

Yes thats true, why aren't you doing so anyway?

[FlameFlash]

*nods*

Henrik... I wouldn't be sure, but my guess is Gatekeeper's work has banned the apolyton.net location from their servers so that's the only way he can get on.

Either than, or his DNS is fruity so it's just easier to do it that way.