A couple of questions from a non-newbie.

[DarthVeda]

What can be done with Describe.txt? This is the first I've heard of it (and I consider myself a veteran).

Will ToT use .xlf files or something else?

[Ken Hinds]

After reading the above posts I checked my MPGE files and found the describe text in the main directory (Folder, for those of you running on a Win95 mentality instead DOS like me). The beginning of the file says that it is intended that you change the descriptions to fit your changes to Units, Improvements, Advances, and Wonders. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but the reason so many scenarios have the Description grayed out in the Civopedia is probably because there is no describe text in the scenario folder for that particular scenario.

I'm going to copy the describe text into a scenario folder and see if that provides descriptions for the Civopedia on that scenario. I'll let you all know later today what happens.

Ken

[Ken Hinds]

It's been tested. If you copy describe.txt from the main directory to a scenario directory you will get descriptions for everything in the Civopedia just like you normally would. Obviously if you made changes to units, wonders, etc. those descriptions won't be accurate until you make the changes to fit your scenario.

Now to do my research to update the describe.txt for the scenarios that I would like updated and forward to the designer for review and inclusion in the next update, if they so desire, and to get permission to include the file with any redistribution that I might make of their scenario.

Ken

[EnochF]

Er, just to clarify:

Having tried to insert my own "describe.txt" file into a scenario (and failed), let me just state: copying the describe.txt into a scenario folder will not allow your new descriptions to be accessed by the game. The only way to display new descriptions is to edit the file in the main game folder. (At least, that's the way my game has always worked; admittedly, I haven't downloaded a patch for MGE, so maybe that's fixed later on.)

I've dinked around with the file for a while. It's possible to create descriptions even for advances and units like "Extra Air Unit" or "Plumbing" by assigning it a new number and inserting the description (followed by a line mimicking the other parts of the file, for example, @Extra Air Unit or @User Def Tech A). It's a little like editing the advice.txt file, if you know what I'm talking about.

[Ken Hinds]

EnochF,

I'm not sure what caused your difficulty. Here's what I did.

1. I'm using MGE with no patch.

2. Copy the original Describe.txt file to the scenario folder. As I noted this will not be accurate for anything that you changed.

3. If this is one of your own scenarios then you probably still have your notes on changes and can just open describe.txt with wordpad or another text editor. Otherwise start the scenario and open the Civopedia for the entries for which you want new descriptions and click on the description button. You should now have a description for the original item. Make a note of this is and it's new name. Do this for every item for which you intend to change the description.

4. Open the describe.txt file in the scenario directory with wordpad or whichever text editor you are using. Go to the description entry that you want replaced or changed. Replace or change the existing text line with your new text/changes. Note: All the descriptions are in one long continous line of text because the compiler used to build the game will do it's own line wrapping. I did not try putting any line breaks in my text. At the very beginning of the file there is a note from MPS stating one line per entry. While this might just apply to the index it probably applies to the descriptions also.

5. Save your changes leaving the file in the scenario directory. Go back to the scenario and you should find that your changed descriptions show up in the Civopedia for the new items instead of the original descriptions provided by MPS.

6. I was able to do this for scenarios created with FW and MGE.

7. I did not need to change anything in the index or any titles in the description section of the file. Obviously if you use any of User defined items or items for which MPS has indicated that there are no descriptions, then you will have to follow the directions provided with the file if those descriptions are going to show up in the Civopedia.

Ken

[Korpo]

1st) could you guys use your expertise to answer my questions in the help section ?
2nd) question still open: how do you change graphics in the pedia ?