[Modding] Creating my first scenario

[Cablenexus]

First time reach over 1117 UNITS in one game. Game last about 30 turns here. Performance is going well.

[Cablenexus]

Significant boost with latest .exe file. CPU, GPU and memory is reduced. Memory is the most visible. The game is using about 700 mb in taskmanager.

Turn 40 of a 89x89 map with over 1500 objects, can easy enable disable fog/trees/grid/max zoom in/out etc
No drop in performance.

Game is running for 10 + hours.

Background apps open (Win10 creators fall, Steam, IOBIT system manager, Firefox with multiple tabs, Paint.net with multiple textures open, notepad++ wit multiple big files open).

(The only minor performace drop is when the tech screen opens and when I build a temple and it has to calculate and show the influence area).

[pavelk]

Really like it with ambience change in colors.

You probably need to explain that this is a confirurable options in mod, otherwise noone will understand what you mean by that.

First time reach over 1117 UNITS in one game. Game last about 30 turns here. Performance is going well.

That is really great news!

Btw. for other readers, Cablenexus is talking about a testing exe file I sent him yesterday. It is going to be part of the next build V5.

[gwgardner]

Really like it with ambience change in colors.

I think the way hills stand out in this screenshot is excellent. I like the colors very much. Is this achievable with current settings, only in your mod, or what?

[pavelk]

I think the way hills stand out in this screenshot is excellent. I like the colors very much. Is this achievable with current settings, only in your mod, or what?

Well those are actually mountains, Cablenexus changed the texture:) You can just overwrite the "bitmaps.dds" file in ancient_rome mod folder if you want to have it also there

[gwgardner]

I think the way hills stand out in this screenshot is excellent. I like the colors very much. Is this achievable with current settings, only in your mod, or what?

Well those are actually mountains, Cablenexus changed the texture:) You can just overwrite the "bitmaps.dds" file in ancient_rome mod folder if you want to have it also there

I like mountains to be moutans and hills to be hills. Bad Cablenexus.

[Cablenexus]

I think the way hills stand out in this screenshot is excellent. I like the colors very much. Is this achievable with current settings, only in your mod, or what?

Well those are actually mountains, Cablenexus changed the texture:) You can just overwrite the "bitmaps.dds" file in ancient_rome mod folder if you want to have it also there

I like mountains to be moutans and hills to be hills. Bad Cablenexus.

You are absolutely right. Pavel noticed this as well.

The reason was that Holland is really flat. We don't have mountains. So I changed mountains into hills, but then I have to call them hills.

I will try to achieve a simular effect with a real mountain this weekend.

Thank you for the feedback.

[pavelk]

The reason was that Holland is really flat. We don't have mountains. So I changed mountains into hills, but then I have to call them hills.

I definitely wouldnt do that. Why would ypi have two terrain types when you want just one? Simply stop using mountains entirely.
If you just rename mountains to hills, it will still exist in the game as mountains internally (For example the terrain movement for units will differ, etc).

Why you didnt use hills in the first place?

I initially thought that you wanted to just change the texture so it looks more Dutch, but it will still be an impassable terrain. If you want to use it as hills, you should rather use real hills (otherwise you will need to change all the TerrainBehaviorMemento elements for mountains

[pavelk]

The problem by design is that when I edit my scenario afterwards and export it again I have to manually delete all those lines to have the intro text shows up for new player

I get the point know. There are so called "attributes" which are created for such scenarios. I will add a new attribute which will prevent this for certain reports once they have the attribute selected. Logged.

I implement this as promised. Edit your scenario file and add to all <param elements inside ReportMemento elements this attributes="41" . This will prevent the userRead change when scenario is created. Of course it will work since V5. If you change it now, it will not work and it might also crash:)) (because such value doesnt exist yet)

[Cablenexus]

The reason was that Holland is really flat. We don't have mountains. So I changed mountains into hills, but then I have to call them hills.

I definitely wouldnt do that. Why would ypi have two terrain types when you want just one? Simply stop using mountains entirely.
If you just rename mountains to hills, it will still exist in the game as mountains internally (For example the terrain movement for units will differ, etc).

Why you didnt use hills in the first place?

I initially thought that you wanted to just change the texture so it looks more Dutch, but it will still be an impassable terrain. If you want to use it as hills, you should rather use real hills (otherwise you will need to change all the TerrainBehaviorMemento elements for mountains

There are a few wishes and a few problems to overcome. I want both hills and mountains and something between (the Ardenna) which is forest on very high hills, but not called mountains.

With the heightmap I did not managed to create a hill pattern that looks like the mountain pattern. I want my hills looks like the hills in the screens I showed already and there need to be also mountains in the South part.

I also want to stay close to my main goal. Make the terrain map tiles more distinct from each other and use the terrain overlay as an example.

I managed this for example with the grey hills I made first, and use the heightmap image to create better hills (still I don't like them compared to the hills I created with the mountain setting.

But I'm not done experimenting yet, maybe I can use the mountain pattern as an example of how hills will be drawn, but I'm afraid I come into problems with collision if units stand on them.

[pavelk]

You are creating the heightmap yourself or let the scenario exporter do that for you?

[Cablenexus]

You are creating the heightmap yourself or let the scenario exporter do that for you?

In the above screen I made the hill part somewhat darker (just slightly). But I'm not happy with the pattern at all and how the texture fit on the hill tiles. Also now it's again different to distinct the hill from the forest.

That grey mountain isn't realistic at all, or it has to be stonemines.

[pavelk]

You are creating the heightmap yourself or let the scenario exporter do that for you?

In the above screen I made the hill part somewhat darker (just slightly). But I'm not happy with the pattern at all and how the texture fit on the hill tiles. Also now it's again different to distinct the hill from the forest.

That grey mountain isn't realistic at all, or it has to be stonemines.

If you leave the scenario creator to create the heightmap, I can tell you how to change the creation process to have hills higher (automatically)

Look into the mod file and this part

Code: Select all

<CustomizedGameDataTypeMemento id="12" gameDataType="1" name="Texts.HeightMapSetting" defaultId="1" isDisplayed="false">
          <customizedGameDataTypeOptions>
            <customizedGameDataTypeOptions>
              <CustomizedGameDataTypeOptionMemento id="1">
                <customizedGameDataHeightMap>       
                  <heightMapTerrains>
                    <heightMapTerrains>
                      <MapGeneratorHeightMapTerrainSettingMemento terrainId="5" numberOfPoints="20" maxHeightIndex="190" maxSize="20"/>
                      <MapGeneratorHeightMapTerrainSettingMemento terrainId="7" numberOfPoints="30" maxHeightIndex="30" maxSize="15"/>
                    </heightMapTerrains>
                  </heightMapTerrains>
                </customizedGameDataHeightMap>
              </CustomizedGameDataTypeOptionMemento>
            </customizedGameDataTypeOptions>
          </customizedGameDataTypeOptions>
        </CustomizedGameDataTypeMemento>   

I am sure that if you play around with those values, you will find what you need;)

[Cablenexus]

Thank you, I got it.

Is it correct that only when exporting a scenario you get the heightmap calculated? Exporting it and saving teh scenario is not refresh the terrain heightindex for me.

[pavelk]

Thank you, I got it.

Is it correct that only when exporting a scenario you get the heightmap calculated? Exporting it and saving teh scenario is not refresh the terrain heightindex for me.

Yes. It is correct. The heightmap is created automatically when you generate new map (customized new world) or export your scenario. Once the game is just loaded, it doesnt regenerate it.

[Cablenexus]

Another attempt. Still with the default height map settings, I have to learn to work with them.

[Cablenexus]

If you look good at the different height the units standing on (see also the blacksmith in a valley) you can do spectactular things with the heightmaps and generation settings.

[Cablenexus]

Slowly getting somewhere. Now I want to have the stones appears sometimes on the hills to give it more diversity.

[Cablenexus]

What about this?

[Cablenexus]

Issue with dissapearing trees in large maps is eliminated since latest update (smooth .exe).