Capitalization in Civ3

Colwyn · June 26, 2001, 05:52

One of the annoying things I found in Civ2 is that the AI will default to capitalisation(capitalization for US english) when it doesn't want to or has nothing else to build.

This did not lend itself well to WAR scenario's where you may want its citys to build units and thus forces the scenario builder to give units to the AI at the start of each or a specified turn.

This reduces the gameplay somewhat as it makes the number of enemy cities you may destroy or the land you pillage have no real great effect. In a war scenario knowing this happens really takes the fun out of sending bombers & other units to disrupt the enemy rather than take over a whole city.

The best scenario I ever played was red front, I though about removing the advance for capitilisation and many useless buildings for the AI to force it to build units (ie nothing else it can select) and guess what, in CIv2 the AI can select capitalisation right from the start of the game!

I hope Civ3 will not hard code the AI the ability to do this as per Civ2.

If anyone has any news re this, I'd love to know.

Gramphos · June 28, 2001, 17:11

I think you should be able to inactivate technologies and thing to build (improvements, wonders and units) in Scenarios. If you don't want one of the AIs to do capitalization, you should be able to inactivate it, and for the AI I hope that it will be better on planing what to build.

Some times you may want a Civ to be unable to build SDI-defense in Scenarios, with this function yo just have to inactivate it. You maybe also want one of the Civs to be unable to build a Spaceship, but you want the other fifteen Civs to have that ability. You should also be able to set maximum total units every Civ should be allowed to have. (This could also be a diplomatic ability.
I.e. you have almost defeated a Civ, and it begs for peace. If this is a militant Civ, you will probably not allow it to rebuild its armies to attack you again. In that case, you should be able to set the following options in your treaty: maximum total units, maximum offensive units, maximum defensive units, maximum total offense points and maximum total defense points. You should be able to set a value or leave it unlimited for each option, and a violation of the limit should be an act of war.)

Now I’m totally out of the topic of this thread, so I’ll stop now before I leave the topic of the Forum.

KrazyHorse · June 28, 2001, 17:13

Gramphos, it was easy to deactivate improvements/techs in CivII. The rules.txt file was really simple.

Rasputin · June 28, 2001, 18:31

too easy to edit rules.txt too, particualry a worry ion MP games where only the hosat knows the changes...

Inverse Icarus · June 28, 2001, 20:52

yea, i once joined a game that had a 15x multiplier on roads/rivers.

it was scary when a cgariot flew across the world, so i left.

KrazyHorse · June 29, 2001, 11:51

I joined a game on the Zone the other day. It was 2x2x (give me a break; I was bored, and I had to play something). I saw a horseman four forest squares away, so I rushbought a phalanx. I see the freakin' horseman travel through all four forest squares and capture my city. I just said "screw it" and left.

Gramphos · June 29, 2001, 13:47

I know one can edit the rules, but as they are making a Scenario Editor, I want options in it. It would make everything easier

.

KrazyHorse · June 29, 2001, 13:51

To put all the things you could do with the rules.txt into the scenario editor would make the interface way too complex. The options in the scenario editor should just be the overall options which globally affect gameplay and which are easier to include in the editor than in the rules.txt file.

Gramphos · June 29, 2001, 14:20

Quote:

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
To put all the things you could do with the rules.txt into the scenario editor would make the interface way too complex. The options in the scenario editor should just be the overall options which globally affect gameplay and which are easier to include in the editor than in the rules.txt file.

You could have an option to have an advance editor

. (Crowded with functions and menus, just as I want all apps...) Everything is becoming so simply when all the good functions are hidden to make the interface better for users not used of a screen full of options, menus crowded wit option that opens new windows with more options.

I don't remember if you could edit the rules for just one scenario, or if you had to unedit it every time you were finished with the scenario. I think it was the hardest way, but I'm not sure. If it is like that I want that to be an option saved in the scenario file, not the main game rules.

KrazyHorse · June 29, 2001, 14:58

You could always just save a backup of the original rules.txt...I think MGE and FW did this for you.

SerapisIV · June 29, 2001, 15:09

How about a feature in the game that is able to analyze the rules.txt and tells each MP player if changes are made. It would cut down on stories like KH wrote of where rule changes were made that all players are not aware of.

KrazyHorse · June 29, 2001, 15:13

Yeah...an MP-checker is a must have when you're playing with people you don't know.

Gramphos · June 29, 2001, 17:13

KrayzyHorse
To mush work... Just make a complicated UI in the editor an I'll be happy

(Or give the ability to attach a rules.txt to each scenario (from the editor)).

SerapisIV
I've already suggested that (rule-checker) in another thread somewhere...

Sabre2th · June 29, 2001, 20:18

A rule-checker thingy would be good. And NOT like in CTP2 where it just turns MP off.

Rasputin · June 30, 2001, 02:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Gramphos

SerapisIV
I've already suggested that (rule-checker) in another thread somewhere...

This is an absolute must... I remember palying DukeNukem 3D which had user deifned Text files for altrering the game like weopns andstuff. but before allowing you to conenct to would check whether your user file was the exact same as the host, if not titwouldnt allow connection .... if something that old and that simple could do it i am sure the clever people at firaxis can do better....

Inverse Icarus · June 30, 2001, 08:33

its not that hard at all.

i could write it in VB or C in like an hour.

you could go line by line comparing the two files (host and client) and make a list of all the lines the host has changed (using yours as a compare element).

civ 2 example:

YOURS:

3 ; Road movement multiplier

HOSTS:

200 ; Road movement multiplier

that would set up a little popup that says





"THE HOST'S RULES.TXT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING CHANGES



200   ; Road movement multiplier

"

and then gives you the option to connect or disconnect.

Sabre2th · June 30, 2001, 09:21

That's very similar to what I was thinkin, Uber. (Great minds think alike)

Gramphos · July 4, 2001, 15:17

It is almost as I suggested before, but I wanted them to not compare lines, but compare the options.
To use the same example as UberKruX my suggestion would show a window that says:

RULES of the Host

The following rules at the Host are different from your local rules.

What do you want to do?

All differences would be presented here, and not only if the comment were different.

(The TEXTBOX is supposed to be locked)
Edit: I accidentally pushed Submit instead of preview)

TechWins · July 4, 2001, 18:38

Good job on that Gramphos.

Gramphos · July 5, 2001, 13:36

Quote:

Originally posted by TechWins
Good job on that Gramphos.

Thanks.
I like coding HTML, but I think it shall only has borders around it, not in it, but I'll not edit my post again for that.

Rasputin · July 5, 2001, 14:23

sounds good, when is the program being released so i can use it now to check games i paly

Gramphos · July 5, 2001, 14:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Rasputin
sounds good, when is the program being released so i can use it now to check games i paly

Currently I've no plans to develop something like that, as it needs to interfere with the network traffic of the game, if not included in the game from the beginning. What I made was a Suggestion. I don't know if UberKruX has any other plans.
Anyway, if Civ III doesn't have this feature I might reconsider my decision. But as long as Civ III isn't ready I'll do nothing. To make that sort of check in the game takes almost no time, to add it with an extra program takes long time, as you need to find out how the rules are send to you, and needs to write a function to lad your rules.txt file.

Rasputin · July 5, 2001, 14:43

oh ok, it was jsut from the earleir posts it was made out to be a simple thing so i thought one of you guyys must be doing it

Gramphos · July 5, 2001, 14:49

Quote:

Originally posted by Rasputin
oh ok, it was jsut from the earleir posts it was made out to be a simple thing so i thought one of you guyys must be doing it

It is simple if you are doing it in the same time as you are doing the network console for the game. Therefor I hope Firaxis adds it.

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