[C4:AC][Programming] Tech Tree

[Senethro]

New thread for discussion of creating the tech tree.

1. Is creating it now before having a discussion with the programmers going to lead to any problems or having to completely redo it?
2. See Rubin's previous thread for how to create good looking artwork icons
3. A program for generating it?
4. What new tags will need to be created to complete the tech tree?

a.Probe team morale increase
b.Commerce Tech
c.Enable Victorys
d.Enable Council Proposals
e.Enable Unit Workshop piece
f. Reveal all map
g. Restrictions lifted
h. Probe team operation enabled.
i. New alien life forms appear in wild

What other issues?

[Gavin Berchler]

I have built the php tech tree generator which can import directly from csv and regenerate valid tech tree files. So it takes me no longer than 3 seconds to regenerate the file once I have a tweaked cvs file. Perhaps we can look at using ajaxxls to cooperate in creating the technology files.

This sort of thing can be done easily via a c# program. Perhaps someone can create one of these.
I will give a detailed breakdown once I have completed the tech tree so you can critique/feedback.

[PJayTycy]

Why is it easier to write a cvs file than directly editing the xml ? I don't really get what your php tool does ...

[MMC]

Actually, I have a program that I wrote in PHP that can take a list of users straight from the database of a forum, which can then churn out that list with custom info, all as an XML file. I then fed it into a handy tool that is only available with Macromedia Fireworks: the XML Picture Generator. I used it to create a series of uniform signatures.

But it wouldn't be too hard to tweak the system to churn out a tech tree... Plus I could then add the tool to my toolkit (once I find a decent PHP to EXE compiler).

[Gavin Berchler]

I have basically made a custom script that does that.

Hows this for an idea. Half the work is prepping the CSV files

Can someone help me by creating the CSV files and I can script the transformation into the valid xml files.

Eg Buildinginfo.xml

Just put a heading with the field name you would like to change
and then put the values below

Building name/Cost/Value
Reactor / 100 /2

[MMC]

But the way mine works, skips the csv step.

[Gavin Berchler]

I think it would just be easier to do it via csv as we can edit i just using excel!

[Gavin Berchler]

OK have completed the tech tree. It needs a bit of tweaking but heres a screenie:

[img=http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3928/smactree2hb.th.jpg]

[Senethro]

meh

[Senethro]

What do all these tags mean? Some of them aren't too obvious.


[TechInfos]
[TechInfo]
[Type]TECH_MYSTICISM[/Type]
Sen: The name of the technology.
[Description]TXT_KEY_TECH_MYSTICISM[/Description]
Sen: Not exactly sure. link to Pop up help?
[Civilopedia]TXT_KEY_TECH_MYSTICISM_PEDIA[/Civilopedia]
Sen: The Civilopedia link presumably.

Note: As in SMAC, some techs are named unusually. The Communism tech is called Utopia. This will be for similar reasons that Firaxis has renamed Mao to "The Chinese Leader" and Blizzard removed Pandas from their expansion to World of Warcraft.

[Help/]
[Strategy]TXT_KEY_TECH_MYSTICISM_STRATEGY[/Strategy]
Sen: Something for the AI? Or the Governor?

[Advisor]ADVISOR_RELIGION[/Advisor]
Sen: Does this cause advisor help messages relevent to it?

[iAIWeight]0[/iAIWeight]
Sen: No idea.
[iAITradeModifier]0[/iAITradeModifier]
Sen: Something to help the AI trade fairly?
[iCost]50[/iCost]
Sen: Base cost in beakers?
[Era]ERA_ANCIENT[/Era]
Sen: Depending on what era you begin in, will this tech be researchable.
[FirstFreeUnitClass]NONE[/FirstFreeUnitClass]
Sen: First to research gets a free unit. Music + Great Artist.
Can specify which unit.
[iFeatureProductionModifier]0[/iFeatureProductionModifier]
Sen: Don't know.
[iWorkerSpeedModifier]0[/iWorkerSpeedModifier]
Sen: Obvious what its for, not how to use. Steam power has the value 50. But is that 50% increase in worker speed or 50% decrease in time taken?
[iTradeRoutes]0[/iTradeRoutes]
Sen: Alters number of trade routes per city. Currency.
[iHealth]0[/iHealth]
Sen: Increase in each city's health. Future Tech.
[iHappiness]0[/iHappiness]
Sen: Increase in each city's happiness. Future tech again.
[iFirstFreeTechs]0[/iFirstFreeTechs]
Sen: First one to research gets a free tech. Liberalism.
[iAsset]8[/iAsset]
Sen: Don't know
[iPower]0[/iPower]
Sen: Don't know - Seems to be Military Power on graph?
[bRepeat]0[/bRepeat]
Sen: Tech can be researched multiple times. Future Tech
[bTrade]1[/bTrade]
Sen: Don't know - Tech is tradable, non-tradable?
[bDisable]0[/bDisable]
Sen: Don't know - Tech can be turned off?

[bGoodyTech]1[/bGoodyTech]
Sen: Don't know - Can this tech be popped from hut?
[bExtraWaterSeeFrom]0[/bExtraWaterSeeFrom]
Sen: Extra number of tiles you can see across water. Optics
[bMapCentering]0[/bMapCentering]
Sen: World map is centred. Calendar
[bMapVisible]0[/bMapVisible]
Sen: Whole map visible. Satellites.
[bMapTrading]0[/bMapTrading]
Sen: Map trading enabled with this tech. (Paper?)
[bTechTrading]0[/bTechTrading]
Sen: Tech trading enabled with this tech. Alphabet.
[bGoldTrading]0[/bGoldTrading]
Sen: Gold trading enabled with this tech. Currency
[bOpenBordersTrading]0[/bOpenBordersTrading]
Sen: Open borders diplomatic option enabled with this tech. Writing.
[bDefensivePactTrading]0[/bDefensivePactTrading]
Sen: Defensive pact enabled with this tech. Military tradition
[bPermanentAllianceTrading]0[/bPermanentAllianceTrading]
Sen: Obvious - enabled with Communism/Utopia.
[bBridgeBuilding]0[/bBridgeBuilding]
Sen: Can units cross rivers without movement penalty with this tech. (Engineering or Construction, I forget)
[bIrrigation]0[/bIrrigation]
Sen: Irrigation chaining enabled.
[bIgnoreIrrigation]0[/bIgnoreIrrigation]
Sen: Can build farms anywhere. Biology.
[bWaterWork]0[/bWaterWork]
Sen: Can work water tiles. Fishing.

[iGridX]1[/iGridX]
[iGridY]11[/iGridY]
Sen: Don't know - Placement on tech tree screen?
[DomainExtraMoves/]
[CommerceFlexible/]
[TerrainTrades/]
Sen: Don't know any of the 3 above.
[Flavors]
[Flavor]
[FlavorType]FLAVOR_RELIGION[/FlavorType]
[iFlavor]9[/iFlavor]
[/Flavor]
[Flavor]
[FlavorType]FLAVOR_GOLD[/FlavorType]
[iFlavor]1[/iFlavor]
[/Flavor]
[Flavor]
[FlavorType]FLAVOR_CULTURE[/FlavorType]
[iFlavor]8[/iFlavor]
[/Flavor]
[Flavor]
[FlavorType]FLAVOR_GROWTH[/FlavorType]
[iFlavor]2[/iFlavor]
[/Flavor]
[/Flavors]
[OrPreReqs/]
[AndPreReqs/]

TXT_KEY_TECH_MYSTICISM_QUOTE

[Sound]AS2D_TECH_MYSTICISM[/Sound]
[SoundMP]AS2D_TECH_MP_MYSTICISM[/SoundMP]
[Button],Art/Interface/Buttons/TechTree/Mysticism.dds,Art/Interface/Buttons/TechTree_Atlas.dds,4,11[/Button]
Sen: I can guess what the above are for, but don't know the specifics.

Can anyone else fill in more?

[Gavin Berchler]

the grid is for the placement on the tectree. the rest seem to be fine.

[Rubin]

[Type]TECH_MYSTICISM[/Type]

This is the technology identifier. Any references to this technology must use the correct identifier.

[Description]TXT_KEY_TECH_MYSTICISM[/Description]
[Civilopedia]TXT_KEY_TECH_MYSTICISM_PEDIA[/Civilopedia]

These are external xml references. Very useful for translation purposes.

[Strategy]TXT_KEY_TECH_MYSTICISM_STRATEGY[/Strategy]

External reference. Produces the "Sid's tips" in the game. SMAC/X has something similar.

[Sound]AS2D_TECH_MYSTICISM[/Sound]
[SoundMP]AS2D_TECH_MP_MYSTICISM[/SoundMP]

External references for the single player and multiplayer sounds playing when the technology is discovered.

[Button],Art/Interface/Buttons/TechTree/Mysticism.dds,Art/Interface/Buttons/TechTree_Atlas.dds,4,11[/Button]

This holds the icon graphics information, but has two entries. I've found that it is easier to only use the first entry and simply delete the "atlas" entry.

---

All of these tags can be easily modified--including the external references.

[Gavin Berchler]

Hey guys am at the airport and woudl rather be working on this mod.

Can someone turn these into excel/open office documents with each tag being the field heading along the top? The same for the building xml one. That way its easy to modify.

[ForesterSOF]

I have been trying to make a tech tree with only 7 rows like Civ likes.

If you want me to continue while you do the xml stuff for it I will.

Will also look to making the graphix part of the tech tree if I can figure out how.

[ForesterSOF]

OK MMC. Here is the tech tree on a 7 row format.

What to do now dont know.