Animated Cities

SMIFFGIG · October 3, 2002, 11:01

I was thinking (and hoping) arent cities spires!!!

and if so cant they be animated??

I think it would be so good if cities had simple animations, i was thinking in particular on CityMod2 they industrail style cities have smoke comming out of their chimneys, it would very good
And maybe some ancient cities have acassional birds flying around them. Futuristic ones maybe have occasional cars flying around or something.

I think its a good idea, one of which is tottaly new to any civ game but i believe has great potential

P.S. One thing is really bugging me. Did they take Diamond age city style out of CtP2?????? I would love to hear an answer if anyone knows. And if they did stupidly did do this are they back in CityMod2 or will they be back in HotW (greatly hope so)

SMIFFGIG · October 3, 2002, 11:07

Oh and another thing, could it be made so that when a city is attacked and taken over smoke comes out of it for a couple of turns

The civ3 graphics for a city rioting would be absolutly perfect

Martin Gühmann · October 3, 2002, 11:22

If it only depends on the sprite format than animated cities are possible, but unfortunatly there is no option in the game that allow to enable/disable city animations. So the question is is city animation is off or on by default. The other problem is the time that is needed to create these sprites. Locutus might include the graphics of the CTP1 Genetic and Diamond age city styles, but to be shure you have to ask himself. So far there are not included in CityMod2 or in any other mod that use CityMod2.

-Martin

Pedrunn · October 3, 2002, 16:45

Quote:

If it only depends on the sprite format than animated cities are possible, but unfortunatly there is no option in the game that allow to enable/disable city animations.

Another moswapper option or a different download would do the trick

SMIFFGIG · October 3, 2002, 16:54

No Pedrunn he means within the game

eg AI captures Player1's city (on switch) for 10 turns afterwards there is smoke comming out of the city due to the battling (off switch) the ten turns are up and there is no more smoke animation

Pedrunn · October 3, 2002, 17:27

Sorry, my thoughts were still here

Quote:

I think it would be so good if cities had simple animations, i was thinking in particular on CityMod2 they industrail style cities have smoke comming out of their chimneys, it would very good
And maybe some ancient cities have acassional birds flying around them. Futuristic ones maybe have occasional cars flying around or something.

And this is good stuff!!!

Dont like your smoke from war effect though. And i cant see a good way to make possible to implement. Can anyone clarify me?

Devil of Truth · October 4, 2002, 03:59

Wouldn’t mind seeing fireworks (like Civ3) when my citizens think I’m the best thing since toast (which doesn’t happen often

).

SMIFFGIG · October 4, 2002, 05:16

This is a great idea Devil of Truth and the animation could be niked straight from civ3. I would like this option too

Just needs someone with the skills to put it into ctp2

Pedrunn · October 4, 2002, 10:25

Quote:

This is a great idea Devil of Truth and the animation could be niked straight from civ3. I would like this option too

Just needs someone with the skills to put it into ctp2

I still dont get how to implement

ahenobarb · October 4, 2002, 11:09

Quote:

Originally posted by SMIFFGIG
This is a great idea Devil of Truth and the animation could be niked straight from civ3. I would like this option too

Just needs someone with the skills to put it into ctp2

I haven't messed with the sprites, but what format (.tga I presume) and what size should the gaphics be?

Also, what happens if your city is attacked, you repel the enemy (smoke on), then your citizens start holding WLTK (fireworks on). The second would cancel the first I guess.

Pedrunn · October 4, 2002, 11:21

Quote:

I haven't messed with the sprites, but what format (.tga I presume) and what size should the gaphics be?

Sprites are .spr files. Wich actually are a collection of .tif files. Created by the unfriendly Sprite Tool aplication.
You can find the utility to make sprites in the database.

Immortal Wombat · October 4, 2002, 14:34

The effects would have to be effect sprites, separate from the city sprite, and triggered separately. Animated cities should be simple though, smoke or something small like that.

Pedrunn · October 5, 2002, 09:39

Quote:

The effects would have to be effect sprites, separate from the city sprite, and triggered separately

My biggest doubt is because the game stops for the human if a effect happens in his sight. So the best would have the effect triggered from time to time but impossible to have it through the whole turn while you are playing with it. Not to mention that it is impossible to have this change a city sprite. It defined to just change when a ages has entered in the texts.

Quote:

Animated cities should be simple though, smoke or something small like that.

I am a really illiterate when comes to city/unit sprite making txt. But this feature would be such a cool addition. So i want to know if It is possible to have continues city animation or only for a few time?

Immortal Wombat · October 5, 2002, 18:19

continuous probably. about the same frequency of a unit's idle animation.

The Big Mc · October 7, 2002, 09:09

I tried this but never put the time in to make it work. If I remember right in the spr text before you compile there is a bit that deals with the fidget command of the city by putting the number 1 up to 15 you can get 15 frames of animation in.

ahenobarb · October 7, 2002, 09:56

Quote:

Originally posted by Pedrunn

My biggest doubt is because the game stops for the human if a effect happens in his sight. So the best would have the effect triggered from time to time but impossible to have it through the whole turn while you are playing with it. Not to mention that it is impossible to have this change a city sprite. It defined to just change when a ages has entered in the texts.

I am a really illiterate when comes to city/unit sprite making txt. But this feature would be such a cool addition. So i want to know if It is possible to have continues city animation or only for a few time?

Is it possible to have the normal city sprite turned off for a few turns, while a second city sprite (based on the normal sprite, but with smoke) replaces it. Then after a few turns, revert back to the old sprite?

Or is the city sprite "fixed" to a city, so that it can't be changed?

Pedrunn · October 7, 2002, 12:30

I dont think we can change the city sprite unless by entering a age

Martin Gühmann · October 7, 2002, 13:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Pedrunn
I dont think we can change the city sprite unless by entering a age

That is one problem the other problem is that we can only use 200 city sprites in one CTP2 mod as long as we don't modify the ctp2.exe.

-Martin

ahenobarb · October 7, 2002, 16:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann

That is one problem the other problem is that we can only use 200 city sprites in one CTP2 mod as long as we don't modify the ctp2.exe.

-Martin

How many city sprites are being used with City Mod 2.1? The file says: "The total number of new city graphics of this mod is now 91" If that is the number of new city sprites, what is the number of original sprites?

Martin Gühmann · October 8, 2002, 13:15

Quote:

Originally posted by ahenobarb
what is the number of original sprites?

The number of city sprited in the original game is 96, so there is still some space, but it could be filled quickly.

-Martin

The Big Mc · October 9, 2002, 05:14

I have some alternative future ones in the tiff format I posted on the space scenario thread.