advanceicon.txt

[kaan]

hi folks

does anyone know if advanceicon.txt has any other use than to translate the Icon field in Advance.txt to an actual filename.
for what i can can see the rest of the file is leftovers from ctp1.
please prove me wrong if i am wrong because it will affect the program im making very much. thanks in advance.

klaus

[Martin Gühmann]

Actual all the *icon.txt files except the uniticon.txt are leftover from CTP1. All the icon information from advances, concepts, wonders, buildings, tile improvements and terrains were moved to the uniticon.txt.

The only use for that file (I think) is to be there for the game engine.

Originally posted by kaan
it will affect the program im making very much.

I guess that is something like Easy Mod for CTP1 or something like I would call Fast Mod a program that edits the text file automaticly by adding the according icons to the uniticon.txt for instance.

Good to see you back Klaus.

-Martin

[kaan]

Hi again Martin

Why am i not really surpriced that it was you that answered my question
Good to see you again too

Well the program im making is no less that an emulation of the ctp2.exe itself, this sound like a very big job and it is. Therefore im starting out just parsing all the text files from the game dir and getting them representet in a object oriented fasion. The next step after this will be to make a working Great Library based on the parsed information and based on parsed .ldl files for the window layout. For all this im using Java and its really turning out good until now. Status on the project is that advance.txt is getting parsed into Advance objects that reside in a container class with 100% succes. I'm working on unit.txt right now and its coming along quite nice

If anyone is interested in seeing the source for parsing the advance.txt ill be happy to post it

klaus

[Martin Gühmann]

Wow,

that's really a huge project, a rewrite of the ctp.exe.

You will need to know a lot of more stuff finally for instance the *.rim *.til and *spr. file format. And all the slic stuff.....

But this is amazing when it's finished.

-Martin

[kaan]

yes it will be a major challenge to get all the graphics displayed correctly, thats why im starting with the great library but it will eventually be done, other than that i dont think it will be too hard to write a compiler for SLIC or to make multiplayer work, hehehe who am i kidding this will be hard indeed but i am counting on getting some help from you guys when i have a plan laid out for it all

klaus

[Martin Gühmann]

I am afraid Klaus that you have to start with slic earlier as you whish if you want to get the Great Library entirely to work.

Here is an example from the government section:

[GOVERNMENT_TECHNOCRACY_PREREQ]
Requires:
Technocracy
Max Cities: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).TooManyCitiesThreshold}
Martial Law: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).MaxMartialLawUnits}
Unit Upkeep: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).SupportCoef}%
Max Science: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).MaxScienceRate}%
Sci. Output: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).KnowledgeCoef}%
[END]

[GOVERNMENT_TECHNOCRACY_STATISTICS]
Rations: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).RationsExpectation*3+12}
Food Output: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).FoodCoef}%
Workday: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).WorkdayExpectation*-2+8}
Prod Output: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).ProductionCoef}%
Wages: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).WagesExpectation*2+5}
Gold Output: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).GoldCoef}%
Crime Rate: {GovernmentDB(Government[0]).CrimeCoef}%
[END]

All the text in the brackets is direct data base access via slic code. So you have now to start to write the slic interpreter. Yes a CTP2 without slic would be something very below than Civ3.

So first you should finish all the data bases on that the Great Library take access.

But that is not a so easy job either. Because there is a lot of stuff that can be used in theese files and aren't used.

Maybe a string list of the ctp2.exe could help you. I allready used a string grabber on the ctp2.exe. Here is the whole list for everyone.

-Martin

[kaan]

thanks Martin for bringing that part of the great library file to my attention, looks like ill have to make the SLIC compiler before i planned it, of at least the framework of the SLIC compiler with som functions enabled. now if someone could get me the complete list of build in functions and events that can be called from SLIC i will be gratefull (hint hint)
I know that there is one on the homepage here but it doesnt show the mod functions and there is an html error preventing me from seeing some of those that are there.

im posting a .zip file with the sourcecode used to parse the advance.txt file
inside there are some *.java files, these can be read in any text editor like notepad or editplus. if you wish to compile and run the sourcecode you will need to obtain the latest jdk on java.sun.com if you have any questions about this file, just ask

klaus

Edit: attachment deleted since its obsolete

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by kaan
now if someone could get me the complete list of build in functions and events that can be called from SLIC i will be gratefull (hint hint)

On Locutus' website is the list of functions and variables as an EditPlus addon file so that you can see in colour.

[kaan]

hi there IW
since i havent been around locutus homepage for ages, do you happen to have an URL?

BTW what do you think of the source?

[Martin Gühmann]

Here is the whole slic documentation that I have. It contains *.shtml files from Apolyton *.htm files from Locutus homepage and his slic.xls and finally my flag list. It is an improved version of the one that is available on Hexagonian's homepage, but not really finished.

To get edit plus 2 slic syntax files for edit plus and a link to Locutus home page and some other stuff about slic visit this thread:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=33181

-Martin

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by kaan
hi there IW
since i havent been around locutus homepage for ages, do you happen to have an URL?

Nah, sorry, but there is a link above every post he makes if it is still important. Following Martin's post it probably isn't...

[kaan]

Units.txt

The parser for Units.txt is now functional, the last bugs were hard to find but easy to correct
now i need only to write comments in the source code for easy reference later, and then ill publish them here.

IW you are absolutely right! martin has really outdone himself this time and provided more info about slic than ill probably need Thanks Martin

I havent done a decent roadmap yet but heres the start of it.

write core parsers:
Advance.txt Done
Units.txt Done
Buildings.txt
Wonder.txt
Terrain.txt
Goods.txt
Tileimp.txt
Govern.txt
Orders.txt
Concept.txt

I try not to think about that this is only the very small beginning

klaus

[kaan]

heres the file containing all of my sourcecode until now.
from the next post i will only post updated and new files.

klaus

[kaan]

buildings.txt

buildings.txt done

this one was easy and fast

klaus

[kaan]

Wonder.txt

parsing of Wonder.txt Done

klaus