Describe.txt

[klesh]

Greetings everybody,

Here is a quick poll for all to answer, please consider your answers as both scenario designers and players.

Is the describe.txt worth including in one's scenario when it is designed with MGE?

The file itself is exhaustively long, and really requires thoroughness and alot of work. However, I recently started playing a few scens with FW, and I noted that for instance tech info is displayed differently than with MGE's describe.txt. FW has things nicely displayed within the open window, while one needs to click the 'Description' button on MGE to get info on the tech.

An example would be the Nuclear Power tech. As you know this adds +1 move to ships, but when renamed in a MGE scenario without a describe.txt that vital piece of info is lost. Same goes for all the simmilarly important techs.

One can put all this into a readme, but ingame references are always better I find. But I dont think many people include these?

I am just really put off by the sheer size of this file, how many of you have found it worthy to use in your scenario's?

Thanks,
-FMK.

[techumseh]

It depends. Are you looking for a good, playable scenario without abandoning all of your friends, family and career plans just to finish it? Then just put in the correct names and titles and blank out the inappropriate text. Or if you want a very polished and finished looking scenario, then you'll have to put those career plans on hold.

[Gelvan]

@tecumesh
- you are absolutely right!

@FMK
As far as I know the pedia.txt is for those special infos like "+1 sea movement" and the describes text (where you have to click the button) is "only" for the background info of the scenario.

This isn't imperative. Nothing is imperative concerning modding, but me personally likes to know what the designer wanted to "say" with his creation. What I mean is: it's nice to have the "Skendulavber"unit which counts as a missile and has 1/3 road movement, but WHY does it have this abilities? What's the deeper reason to it?

The describes.txt can be used by the editor to explain himself to the audience. This gives a much deeper feeling to the scenario than it can be provided by the readme.txt alone. Because it's "in-game" - I can play and if I've forgotten what the readme said, I can look it up in the civilopedia.

To save time: the describes.txt can be completed in the course of creating the scenario. This means, when you renamed the Improvements, rewrite the describe. When you renamed the advances rewrite the desribe. units, terrain etc. Most often you have to think about the renaming anyway. So if you rename a "library" to a "feary tale" you have thought about it already, you had something in your mind. Write that in the describe.

Of course historically correct scenarios are another level of creating, because you can't just write whatever you like. But then: historically correct scenarios are a huge task anyway.

I don't think a describe.txt has to be as big as the original one. Just writing one or two sentences for each thing suffice. More will cost you the family, the job and your entire social life, as tecumesh already said...




But there are surely some "writers" out there, who don't like - or are able - to edit a whole scenario, who would lend you a hand, if you ask them. Maybe we could make a new board, where you can ask things like "I'd make a LOTR-scenario, anyone interested in making a describe.txt?" - there are plenty of WWII-scenarios - if every one editor of those scenarios had written only one sentence, a describe.txt written by all of them together would be huge by now.

we should combine our strengths. may the force be with us. :-)

[Henrik]

Originally posted by Gelvan
As far as I know the pedia.txt is for those special infos like "+1 sea movement" and the describes text (where you have to click the button) is "only" for the background info of the scenario.

True but that info from the pedia.txt isnt actually displayed by MGE unless a describe.txt is present in the same folder, I have no idea why, as the pedia entry is displayed in the basic pedia entry of the tech, unlike the describe entry, but thats the way it is.

Also FMK as you allready know I am in favour of a Describe.txt