Limits

[marc420]

I'm relatively new to CTP and making mods for it, so my apologies in advance if this is a question I should know or be able to find the answer to.

Are there any limits in the game as to the number of units, building types, advances, wonders, or tile improvements, or terrain types?

I'm playing around with some ideas for my own mod. In particular I seem to be heading toward a lot of different unit types. So I'd like to know before I head too far down that road if there are any limits I need to watch out for.

Thanks,
marc

[MrFun]

I think MarkG, the moderator, might say - post this in the Help section.

[OmniGod]

Not really MrFun... as of yet the only limits I know of are the map size. As for units the limit is still probably 100, or at least I believe that's what it was for CTP... other than that I think you can create away. Just remember every change you make and each error that might happen seems to multiply when you go to test it... so test often and keep us up-to-date... your changes maybe changes that everyone has been looking for...

Omni - promoting the modification of CTP2

[Alpha Wolf]

I thought I remember someone saying that there is a limit to the number of advances. But I dont remember where I saw that. Something like 128 or so, if memory serves me.

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History is written by the victor.

[Locutus]

The only real limits in the game are those for wonders and city improvements: both have a 64 max. All the other things are, according to Activision virtually limitless: their only limit is that point at which the game becomes unplayable (very slow and/or unstable).

In CtPI we suspected that there was a limit of 128 on advances because the game became unstable for some people when we used more, but noone knows this for sure and there's no way to know if the same applies for CtPII. Only trial and error can tell where the game becomes unstable and what is still acceptable.

[marc420]

Well, I think I'm approaching this from another direction than others out here. Most seem to be thinking in terms of fixing the current units and tech tree, or concentrating on a particular era and basing units on that. Ie, the direction is think of the environment you want and then create the needed units.

I think that's great, and I'm looking forward to downloading and playing some of these.

I was starting to map out something from the other direction. I wasn't thinking at all in terms of names of the units or historical relationships. I was just starting to lay out a basic tree that would look something like.

Begin with a General Purpose unit for an ERA. The Warrior was my starting point with 10 ATK, 10 DEF. Then have an Advance that said a Civ really wanted to build a Attack oriented version of this, so that Advance has a unit that has 15 ATK and a 5 DEF. The Defense drops on the 'you don't get something for nothin' theory. Then a second Advance off the GP unit that's a Defensive oriented version.

Having done a lot of SMAC, this kinda has the feel of their unit creator, but done with the Tech Tree instead. But the obvious result was that I was probably going to create a lot of units in coming at it in this direction, so I wanted to know if there was some number coded into the game that limited the number of units.

Obviously this is a big project. Not only do I need the units and the techs, but also I need to teach the AI how to use them. And I kinda figured I might as well divorce all of this completely from reality and set it in some sort of fantasy world. But the general direction was going to be to develop the functions of the units I wanted to see first, then later go back and try to write a story behind, come up with some graphics, etc.

But first I'm trying to figure out some of the very basics of how to set up a mod in its own scenario directory, so I've got a long, long way to go....if I have the time to do this at all. But I'm definately looking forward to the promised documentation and webpages on modifications and SLIC.

Thanks for the information everyone!!!!!

marc
[This message has been edited by marc420 (edited December 16, 2000).]