[C4:AC] Official C4-->SMAC Thread - Prelude to a Mod

[girlfight_club]

Originally posted by Illuminatus
I'll see what I can do...

I also have been working one up, but the wiki isn't letting me determine the exact dimensions.

I'll post a largish version here in a couple hours...


GFC

[Darkstar]

binTravkin,

wouldn't adding in a couple of seperators help with the last identifier? Help keep it clean.

So instead of

[C4:AC][P][0167]
where
P - programming
0167 is a 4 digit unique ID which consists of:
'01' - cathegory ID
'6' - task group ID
'7' - task ID

you use:
[01-06-07]

for your last identifier element. This would give:
[C4:AC][P][01-06-07]

It buys you more then 10 for a particular spot. My first thoughts is that the task ID may be in danger of "flipping".

going dual digits for all places could do prevent visual conflicts if anything in your original proprosal ID flips. Unless you plan on alpha-numeric for anything past 10? The seperators shoud help in allowing people to better parse a number/ID when looking through the titles.

[girlfight_club]

This will need to be cropped to size (attached gif is at 50% of the original)--

Took longer than I thought to get back-- But at least I had "the best excuse"...

[binTravkin]

DarkStar - good proposal!

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by girlfight_club
This will need to be cropped to size (attached gif is at 50% of the original)--

Took longer than I thought to get back-- But at least I had "the best excuse"...

Good idea

[Addled Platypus]

Originally posted by girlfight_club
This will need to be cropped to size (attached gif is at 50% of the original)--

Took longer than I thought to get back-- But at least I had "the best excuse"...

nice work

talent cannot be rushed

[#endgame]

This is worrying:

http://pc.ign.com/articles/614/614551p2.html

Specifically:

IGNPC: Players of Alpha Centauri enjoyed the ability to tailor units for specific tasks. Are the units in Civilization 4 going to be adjustable in any way?

Barry Caudill: I think the promotions will add this type of customization in a much more fluid manner since the units are upgraded "on the fly" (i.e. with each new promotion) and you don't have to have researched a certain tech to gain access to them all. Some of the promotions include: jungle or forest bonuses, city defense, city raider, flanking, or just simple power bonuses. You will be able to make units that are specialized without changing all of a certain type and you can change "paths" as your situation dictates.

So we will need to do something significant to get our design workshop back.

[binTravkin]

So we will need to do something significant to get our design workshop back.

No we wont.

The promotion scheme as they bring it to us is the same Design Workshop, just triggered by game events.

1.Remove the triggering (should be no pain)
2.Build a GUI (can use existing GUIs for other tasks witha change of graphics)
3.Mod the promotion names and traits so that they do the same as SMAC special abilities.

With a decent C++ and Python we can get this done quick.

[Senethro]

Actually, reading that same thing about a week earlier gave me hope although I didn't want to voice it. What it gives is an in-game menu that allows us to customise units. If thats not a Design Workshop in potential, I don't know what is.

Edit: always refresh before replying when BinT is about!

[Blake]

Yeah it gave me hope too. In the best case we'll have access to the "unit-type" class and be able to fully construct new types of units with full stats. In the worst case we'd have to hack something together with multiple "promotions" to bump up the units weapon/armor/reactor level. I'm optimistic that unit-type will be exposed, especially in the C++ API.

One question is the difficulty of doing graphics... if Civ4 supports attachment points on units (for attaching little 3D doodads to represent promotion levels and such) then it should be very easy to make customized distinct-looking units. Otherwise... it'd be hard.

Overall the whole thing could be very smooth, or very hacky. But I'm sure it'll be possible.

[binTravkin]

The root of being smooth or hacky lies in how well we investigate the code.

Novadays no company makes software consisting of large coded chunks with zero seriability.

Everything is broken down to functional blocks and classes.

Thus I expect once we investigate a simple Spearman unit we will find out that it has at least following properties:

1.chassis (infantry)
2.weapon (strenght and type of it - {close combat, long range, airborne, missile} and any special effects as area effect for example)
3.armor (strength and probably some more)

Each of these 'parts' is expected to have it's own graphics for easy buildup of parts.

I for one think that they have their own Design Workshop in Firaxis where they put all the units from spearman to nuke together and see how their graphics behave and other things work.

I expect they even have a program version which lets to see a single unit in action and simulate a battle with other unit of choice and on terrain of choice.
How else do you expect them to test their units?!

Noone is playing the game for hours just to get to tanks and then realising they need fixing.

[MarkG]

just triggered by game events

promotions are not random. each time a unit wins it recieves promotion points. once a level is reached, you gain the ability to add a promotion (added characteristic)

further reading

http://civilization4.net/3/114/146/

[binTravkin]

promotions are not random. each time a unit wins it recieves promotion points. once a level is reached, you gain the ability to add a promotion (added characteristic)

I was not saying they're random I said they were triggered by game events, in this situation 'victory in battle' event.
I can bet that it looks like condition check with a function call if condition is true, in the game code.

Thus if we can find the appropriate function call and get the possible input value range as well as the data area from which the function takes data about promotions, we can attach the function to any other event, including a click on the 'apply' button.

[MarkG]

Originally posted by binTravkin
I was not saying they're random I said they were triggered by game events, in this situation 'victory in battle' event.
I can bet that it looks like condition check with a function call if condition is true, in the game code.

most probably without the SDK the only event that will be related to promotion is victory in battle

[GeoModder]

Not necessarily, remember that militaristic civs have a 'free' promotion when a unit is build. Besides the 'choice of upgrade' interface itself is a good candidate to change in a more workshop-alike interface.