PROJECT: AE and AOM compatibility

[Kynalvarus]

merged controlpanel.ldl

Here's the merged controlpanel.ldl adding the AoM buttons to the AE version.

[Ekmek]

awesome! did you set it up in the scenario folder or the standard folder? and whats the text file you uploaded for?

[Kynalvarus]

Odd early rebellions

I set it up in the standard folder. I'm not confident enough with the scenario component to try that one yet.

The Colors00.txt needed a merge. AoM makes barbarians a dark gray and uses red as a player color. AE adds several more standard colors to define up to 32 players.

Unfortunately there's at least one problem so far. I'm only on turn 21 and already there have been three separate AI rebellions. I've attached the save file in case anyone can use it to try to figure out what is going wrong.

[Kynalvarus]

Seems like it's not going to be so simple after all.

Hm. Thinking it might be a problem with the aidata, I replaced all of the files in ctp2_data/default/aidata with the files, unchanged, from the AoM distribution. Alas, this didn't help much. I'm still getting odd rebellion messages from the AIs. I don't think it's a MaxPlayers problem, because after the first three the later messages said that cities had gone to the Barbarians. I then got a crash at about turn 30, which appears to have hit during AI calculations.

0x004eac75 [?NumAdvances@Player@@QAEJXZ + 0xa]
0x0088e52b [?Get_Totally_Complete@CTPGoal@@UBE_NXZ + 0xc51]
0x00885632 [?Prioritize_Goals@Scheduler@@QAE_NXZ + 0x2bc]
0x00884a9c [?Process_Goal_Changes@Scheduler@@QAE?AW4TIME_SLICE _STATE@1@XZ + 0x53]
0x008aad3e [?GEVHookCallback@CtpAi_BeginSchedulerEvent@@EAE?AW 4GAME_EVENT_HOOK_DISPOSITION@@W4GAME_EVENT@@PAVGam eEventArgList@@@Z + 0x8a]
0x005c3d26 [?Activate@GameEventHook@@QAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_ERR@@PA VGameEventArgList@@JAAJ@Z + 0x8e]
0x005c483a [?ActivateHook@GameEventManager@@QAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_ ERR@@W4GAME_EVENT@@PAVGameEventArgList@@JAAJ@Z + 0x3a]
0x005c25c4 [?Process@GameEvent@@QAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_ERR@@AAH@Z + 0x2f]
0x005c4698 [?ProcessHead@GameEventManager@@QAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_E RR@@XZ + 0x33]
0x005c463b [?Process@GameEventManager@@QAE?AW4GAME_EVENT_ERR@@ XZ + 0x7b]
0x0040f036 [?Process@CivApp@@QAEJXZ + 0x103]
0x00407e01 [?CivMain@@YGHPAUHINSTANCE__@@0PADH@Z + 0x3b6]
0x00407878 [WinMain@16 + 0x74]
0x008ba4bc [WinMainCRTStartup + 0x134]
0x7c816d4f [__onexitbegin + 0x7bc5b677]

[Ekmek]

Kynalvarus

any luck? Maybe your asdvances problem is a result of merging.I have replaced the txt files that are prefixed with AOM to just the normal names in the hope of making them a scenario file.

[Ekmek]

I had to split the 600K zip because of the 500k limit because my personal upload folder is filled witht he build, diplomod, and civ3mod

[Kynalvarus]

On Hold for now

AFAICT, there's an underlying problem with the way the AOM AI code is handled by the Apolyton Edition. It's likely that certain SLIC calls which worked one way, or didn't work at all, now work differently. Debugging this is more than I can handle on my own just now, since I have no prior familiarity with SLIC or with CTP2 internals.

One small success is the demonstration that the AoM controlpanel.ldl changes can be patched into the AE controlpanel.ldl without error.

I suspect that the process of debugging the AI issues will require the dreaded "Test Every Line" and so I'd rather wait until after the AE code is frozen and released. At that time I'd be willing to help test and debug a version of AoM running on AE.

[Ekmek]

Re: On Hold for now

Originally posted by Kynalvarus
I'd rather wait until after the AE code is frozen and released. At that time I'd be willing to help test and debug a version of AoM running on AE.

As far as I'm concerned the 597 build is "frozen" I'm not adding anything. And I think Martin might release it as the latest playtest. But since diplomacy appears to be fixed, unless another bug appears its going to be 597 for a long time

I or Bureaubert or Martin could help with the Slic. Just post errors as they come up. I think a lot might be how players are handled.

[BureauBert]

Hi, Kynalvarus!

I am certainly willing to contribute my bits of information to achieve AoM / AE compatibility, although I know next to nothing about the SLIC in AoM (and sometimes I think I know next to nothing about SLIC at all ) . But I do know that Stankarp stated somewhere in the forums that, although he is not going to develop AoM IV, he is still interested in combining AoM (III) and CTP2 AE. Maybe you could approach him with a proposal after his current overseas vacation.

I hope we will also be able to improve the AE Modding Wiki / documentation (currently it's rather a notebook for those among us who are involved in modding as well as in the Source Code Project, and certainly not easily understandable for new modders), and maybe I will try to provide some sort of "Activision 1.11 -> Apolyton Edition migration guide for Mods" (currently this is about it ).

[Ekmek]

Last night I placed my zip into the AoM3 sceario folder. First the colorrs.txt posted here had a problem so I removed that. Second it had a problem with CAPTURED_CITY_OPTIONS so I had to add that to AOM_Iinfo_str.txt.

After that the game started with all of the slic messages, but the control panel didn't have the extra buttons. I think the scenario folder method doesn't look at UI layouts. I'm going to try adding your contolpanel file to see if it corrects it. (If not mabe we just add it to the AE playtest they won't hurt anything, just be non functional).

I dids no notice a lot of rebellions for the AI but I remember that when I tried AoM before. Bureaubert how did yoou fix your problem with revolting cities?

I'll update the files and post a new zip.

[Kynalvarus]

Originally posted by E
Last night I placed my zip into the AoM3 sceario folder. First the colorrs.txt posted here had a problem so I removed that. Second it had a problem with CAPTURED_CITY_OPTIONS so I had to add that to AOM_Iinfo_str.txt.

What was the problem with the Colors00.txt? I made a merge of that file to handle the use of dark gray for Barbs, but to include the extra 16 colors for up to 32 players.

After that the game started with all of the slic messages, but the control panel didn't have the extra buttons. I think the scenario folder method doesn't look at UI layouts. I'm going to try adding your contolpanel file to see if it corrects it. (If not mabe we just add it to the AE playtest they won't hurt anything, just be non functional).

By SLIC messages you mean the AoM startup settings, such as Quick Start and Surrender?

I dids no notice a lot of rebellions for the AI but I remember that when I tried AoM before. Bureaubert how did yoou fix your problem with revolting cities?

The rebellions problem was pretty stark. After about turn 15 I would see one every few turns. If this is a known and fixable issue, great!

I'll update the files and post a new zip.

If 597 is in fact the next playtest and a release candidate, then IMHO it would be worth trying this again. I do wonder if anyone has an opinion about the possible causes of the crash I posted on this thread earlier, beginning with

0x004eac75 [?NumAdvances@Player@@QAEJXZ + 0xa]

[Ekmek]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Kynalvarus

What was the problem with the Colors00.txt? I made a merge of that file to handle the use of dark gray for Barbs, but to include the extra 16 colors for up to 32 players.
[quote]

it had a weird crash i hadn't seen before. but removing it fixed it (and then relying on the AE color.txt) Maybe it was the merge i think I'll just switch the colors manually to get in line with AoM.

By SLIC messages you mean the AoM startup settings, such as Quick Start and Surrender?

yeah those messages. I guess maybe I didn't get deep enough into the slic problem

The rebellions problem was pretty stark. After about turn 15 I would see one every few turns. If this is a known and fixable issue, great!

IIRC theres a revolt level or something in the Const. The AE has these lines which may help, the were added to the AE so the lines aren't found in AoM:

MAX_MATCH_LIST_CYCLES 6 # Amount of AI match list cycles
MIN_TURNS_BETWEEN_REVOLT 10 # minimum number of turns from a city revolts until it is possible to revolt again

However, this is the same in AE and AOM, so changing it to 50 or so would make less revolts too.

REVOLUTION_LEVEL 67

If 597 is in fact the next playtest and a release candidate, then IMHO it would be worth trying this again. I do wonder if anyone has an opinion about the possible causes of the crash I posted on this thread earlier, beginning with

Yeah, unless some crashes get reported 597 is going to be it. As for your crash, I'm going to try and duplicate it and do the usual reload etc and then check the conditions etc.

oh, and I had to add CAPTURE_CITY_OPTIONS to AOM_ldl_str.txt not info. renaming the ldl in the english.zip above to have the AOM prefix should do it. Now that I mention it my conversion text might have been for nought. I think i only needed to change the gamefile.txt and AOM_script.slc (to add the AE new slic). I'll test it this weekend but only a little bit because I want to get into a 597 game

[BureauBert]

Originally posted by E:
Bureaubert how did yoou fix your problem with revolting cities

I had to correct some values in govern.txt -- IIRC some "slider settings" (RationsExpectation, PositiveRationsCoef, NegativeRationsCoef, WorkdayExpectation, PositiveWorkdayCoef, NegativeWorkdayCoef, WagesExpectation, PositiveWagesCoef, NegativeWagesCoef) were too extreme and I had to re-adjust them to the default values (more or less). But of course I discovered that only after having tried everything else you mentioned .

As for SLIC, I would recommend to at least check and double-check the entire code in order to make sure that

• int-functions are always used in a "conditional" manner (evaluating their return value by using it as a condition e.g. in an if-clause -- as opposed to using them in a "void-manner", not evaluating their return value)
• all event handlers returning a "STOP" under certain conditions also return a "CONTINUE" if these conditions are not met

Specially the first point seems to be most important in the AE's SLIC-handling and I would tend to say that large parts of the scripts won't work as expected or even cause crashes if these int-functions are not used correctly. At least I can say that overhauling my scripts in this regard solved a lot of problems I experienced .

As for database/textfiles, I would recommend to

• make sure that all new constants/flags that have been introduced to the AE default files are also present in the modfiles (there are e.g. some new strategies in strategies.txt -- if they are not present in the modfile the game probably won't complain but the AI will as probably get seriously clueless/disturbed, IMHO some missing item in the ai files could possibly also cause some unexpected effects like revolts). Unfortunately I didn't memorize the necessary steps when I worked through my modfiles -- I will possibly try to correct that fault myself some time in the near future .
• adapt all files that have been redesigned to the new AE design, though the old format should still be readable (this might not be absolutely necessary but at least made me feel better )

As far as my experience goes these would be the minimum requirements to make an existing mod work with CTP2 AE.

Currently (unless someone eventually fixed it in the meantime) it's also necessary to remember that the soundfiles in the scenario folder (e.g. \scen0000\default\sound) are simply ignored. If you put them into \ctp2_data\default\sound they are used. This might also be true for other subfolders I haven't tested so far (since I do not, for instance, modify the ui -- but AOM does).

However, after these basic adaptions have been made the Mod should IMHO be technically working which of course doesn't necessarily mean that everything would actually work as expected, the real adventure starts at this point .

[Ekmek]

I also found that language\UI\layouts\ files are ignored by the scenario structure so that hurts an AoM game because of the contol panel. I did find that my prefix-removed files are needed because the gamefile doesn't seem to get accessed either.


As for SLIC stuff, Martin is looking to get the debugslic reiplemented and I think the debugslic problems maybe because of changes in the slic. If you run acrsoss other changes could you document it? it might make slic fixing easier.

thanks

[Fromafar]

Did you change the folder name on purpose? At my PC, the folder is named uidata\layouts, not UI\layout.