Questions on Scenario Creation...

The ANZAC · July 12, 2001, 22:27

Well this is the scenario league, so you should know how to make a scenario. So please hep me with the following questions:

1- How should I edit the rules.txt? Should I use the in-game editor or use notepad? I'm not sure which is the best way to go.

2- Have any of you heard of GIF Construction Set Professional? It's a program which makes animated GIF files in which one animated picture fits onto one file (so no multiple files to get this effect) Now the purpose

: is it possible to make a unis.gif which has automatic ongoing animation? That would be really cool to have... Sooo answer back!

Case · July 12, 2001, 22:36

Quote:

Originally posted by The ANZAC
1- How should I edit the rules.txt? Should I use the in-game editor or use notepad? I'm not sure which is the best way to go.

The in-game editor is more user friendly, but notepad is a lot quicker. Try both a settle on what you're comfortable with.

However, I've found a few problems with the In game editor, so its best to keep a backup copy of rules.txt regularly updated when you're using the editor.
(For some reason it dosn't like the tech tree in Battle of the Atlantic, and will stuff it up if I ever let it get near it

)

Exile · July 13, 2001, 02:31

I use the in-game editor to do everything that I can. But if there is something that you want done and editor won't do it, then you always have the option of editing it within the rules.txt file itself. But beware! Changing certain things is ok, but changing other things will generate dire results. IIRC, there are some hints and tips in the Scenario League designers tips area that address some of the potential problems you might face. Depending on what version you are using to make the scenario, different warnings apply. I read it all, and some of it was encountered, some of it was not encountered. Henrik is on vacation now, but he is a master at that sort of stuff and helped me (without even being asked!) on several occasions to manipulate that file to get good results. Like Case says, back it up before you play with it. Sometimes I even make an entire "test copy" to play with, and, if no disaster strikes, then I go ahead and make changes to the pristine copy.

Hope this helps,
Exile

BeBro · July 13, 2001, 10:19

ANZAC, I think it is impossible to use animated gifs in civ2.

Remember that all unit gfx are stored in the units.gif (or .bmp). That means you have to implement the finished gif animations also there, and this creates a lot of problems. For example, even if civ would accept animated gifs (I strongly doubt that) every unit would show constantly the same animation, which would be a bit annoying (let´s say you have some tanks that appear as moving and firing units - even when they are not active).

Mr. Oobir · July 13, 2001, 16:10

Quote:

Now the purpose

: is it possible to make a unis.gif which has automatic ongoing animation? That would be really cool to have... Sooo answer back

I don't have this exact software package, but I have several similar ones (from my graphics-obsession days), and I have tried to use animated GIFs in CivII. I found, through many tests, that they cannot be used in this game.

The ANZAC · July 13, 2001, 16:43

OK, thanks from that I think I'll use the notepad for the rules.txt! Thanks, though I would have liked to have animated GIFs!

Case · July 13, 2001, 21:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Exile
Sometimes I even make an entire "test copy" to play with, and, if no disaster strikes, then I go ahead and make changes to the pristine copy.

Thats good advice that I learned the hard way by saving a game of one of my scenarios over that working file. To say I was pissed off is putting it very mildly

Gothmog · July 13, 2001, 22:15

Quote:

Originally posted by The ANZAC
1- How should I edit the rules.txt? Should I use the in-game editor or use notepad? I'm not sure which is the best way to go.

The in-game editors do have some bugs. There is one bug that renders the rules.txt unreadable by Civ2.exe wherein major sections of the rules.txt are left out when the in-game editor rewrites the file.

I believe that this occurs when either units, advances, wonders etc are renamed.

In my experience, I have used the in-game editor safely to change such items as the basic unit stats. I sometimes do this during playtests to change attack/defend values on the fly. The advantage of this is that you don't have to reload the save game. If you change files externally, you have to reload the save game to get the fresh values.

The bottom line is that using notepad is the safe thing to do.