Files Types: Maps, Scenarios, Packs?

[MarkG]

what do you think should be our categorization in on our ctp2 file database? what kind of files should each category have?

[OmniGod]

Hmm... that's a toughie

Maps for maps...
Scenarios for scenarios
Mods for what WesW is cooking up
Utilities for Bmp2CTP2 like programs..
Units for units if any individually are submitted..

Other than that what else is there?

Omni

[MarkG]

ok wise guy....

what is a Map and how is it different from a scenario? and what if a mod contains a map? can a scneario contain modified game files?

[MarkG]

also what do you call a map file as it is saved as "pure" map from the editor, and what a map with starting location that is saved a scenario pack? and in which category do you put each of them?

[OmniGod]

Okay to eliminate the confusion...

Base Map - Saved straight from the editor (no mod, no players just a base map)
Scenario Maps - A scenario based on a map, with or without mod (any mod should be added into a readme to make the player aware)
Modification - Generally doesn't have a map thus just a mod
Utility
Units


Don't think to hard... just make sure the readmes are adequate to explain it to people...

Omni

[MarkG]

hmmm what you call a "Scenario Map" I would call it a "Pack"...

but that way you put simple maps with starting locations in the same category as extensive scenarios...


btw, i'm more looking for a common agreement on how to call and separate the created files. i could of course make up a categorization like that you know but i wanted to have everyone's opinion first...

[OmniGod]

Okay.. okay I'll shut up until we get a few more ideas By the way, when's the downloads going to be up... and how many scen's/maps do you have for it already...

Omni

[Paul]

How about this:

Map: map without modified game files; should be playable with default CTP2 rules.

Scenario: map with modified game files; may or may not have some way of winning other than the default victory conditions and/or may disable some of the default victory conditions.

Mod: modified game files; may include maps but should also be playable on random maps.

Units and utilities as defined by Omnigod.

[skorpion59]

You need to distinguish between TEXT maps and BINARY maps since they are implemented in totally different ways.

[MarkG]

ok, i think this covers everything

Category: Maps
Subcategories:
Packs (a map or set of maps, with just starting locations, no cities, no modified game files, put together as a pack)
Binary (map file or set of map files as saved from the "save map" feature of the editor)
Text (map file in text format that can be imported in the game)

Catebory: Scenarios
(map with starting locations, specific cities, civs, etc, with or without modified game files)
posibble Subcategories: Historical, Fictional

Category: Mods
(set of modified game files, put together as a pack. may include maps)

Category: Modification
Subcategories:
Units
Graphics (cities, etc)
Utilities

Category: Official
(anything activision makes: patches, scenarios, etc)

Catefory: Miscellaneous
(Anything else)



[This message has been edited by MarkG (edited December 10, 2000).]

[Alpha Wolf]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but here goes. What about purely informational things, such as how to make units, what files to edit, units put into an easy to read spreadsheet, etc. Has anyone ever talked about writing a quickie VB program that cound extract info from say the units.txt file and throw it into a spreadsheet? Think how easy it would be do change unit parameters or add new units if it existed. I've been thinking about doing it, but my VB is very limited, and figured there's no sense in recreating the wheel if it already exists.

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by Alpha Wolf on 12-10-2000 01:34 PM What about purely informational things, such as how to make units, what files to edit, units put into an easy to read spreadsheet, etc.

this kind of stuff will be in the Modification pages of your CTP2 Section

[phenyl]

i like the way you have things divided, it is tricky the way things break down. i would only suggest that you ad a utility/plugin/3rd part category in addition to the "other" one you have suggested... stuff that isnt covered but stands alone and is developed and maintained by others.

this would support modification efforts of the people and promote the idea of creating other tools outside of the ones activision releases... i envision some sort of modular method to add, remove and even combine mods. this is covered in another thread, but if something like this were actually created, there would the pre-packaged mods... ???

[DarthVeda]

Where will we be able to put our dissertations on the political and economic impacts of a call to power 2 on the American society?

[marc420]

Just an idea from someone new to CTP with CTP2....

One thing that might be a useful beginning to the Mod section for CTP2 would be pointers back to the CTP1 Mod directory.

Ie, what is still useful from the CTP1 information in CTP2? Some sort of web page in the CTP2 Mods directory that gives links back to the CTP1, but also with some text that says....."Hey, check out this file these [fill in the blank] settings in this file are still the same in CTP2"