I_N_C_R_E_D_I_B_L_E!!

This is actually beyond everything i wished for.

from GalCiv2 Forums
Logged-on, Downloaded & Archived. Done!

Had to untick the pre-release box (since SDC update process was showing up a 0.99(RC).001 file which, btw, looped up a few times on me before i realized a Release version could very well be somehow THE final thingy - duh!) to get the real stuff with 1.90.018.

Sooooo, some early comments - not that important and yet may be of use to the staff.

The very first thing i do once i get to have anything i buy is to READ whatever guide is provided; it's almost a ritual, something precious and inevitable. Nice front page, guys. Content looks pretty much 'Avatarishly Dark' only though; so this extra essential asset will need to wait, i guess. Not to be critical of course as i understand what your terrible priorities were in the last few weeks.

Actually, what i wanted most with that invested ca$h is the all inclusive and swift editors to ease my modding attempts, and i must say - you have fulfilled this wish 250%++; as a result, anyone trying to mod their juicy designs will fall in an editing paradise. No more, blinking columns of Notepad popups, No more, tricky typos (well, just as well a better way to prevent errors or foolish mishaps!). No more, flaws of design. And -- everything else this new situation has given us, like a tightly wrapped_boxed_golden_ribboned gift.

I believe i'm gonna be quite busy for a few days. And what if there's some tiny buggy gimmicks creeping in, i can count on Central to accompany me on the road to code_perfection and fun.

As of now... i am seriously locked up in a Galaxy worth every seconds of my X-Com'ish imagination and duties. Ascending to gameplay heaven, shot at by Jenna's best, comparing a tech or twelve, and waiting for a Terror_Starry device to reach war-(d)hell - i'm sure i just skipped a few of many others.

Thanks, people. And, i will once again stress on a last thought; at 29.95$US, Twilight of the Arnor is an absolutely In-Cre_Di!Bl-E deal.

:)
53,399 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks!
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Don't mention it, boss. The pleasure was, is and will always be mine. :)
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
what's the deal with tech trees? do the race specific ones still reference the main one or is each tree completely different?

-Dave
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Each tech tree is unique to the civ.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
what's the deal with tech trees? do the race specific ones still reference the main one or is each tree completely different?-Dave


To answer your question a bit better, yes, they all reference a 'master' tech tree. Found under Data/English/TechTree.xml, the 'master' defines many constants for every tech. Several race-specific unique techs are listed under their individual trees (ie: Invisible Hand is only under Data/English/TechTrees/DrathTechTree.xml, and is not found in the 'master').

The master defines most descriptions, costs, AI values, and the like. This was the original tech tree in DL. Every race-specific tech tree references the 'master' for missing data. The race-specific trees override the master for purposes of say, prerequisites, but for missing data, like descriptions, it asks the master techtree.xml for that information.

The tech tree editor is smart and is built specifically to handle the race-specific techs, and will query general techs exactly as the game will. Additionally, changes made to general techs will only be added to the race-specific tech, and will not overwrite / override the 'master', unless you open the master techtree.xml in the tech editor itself.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Addendum: My bad, you cannot open the master techtree.xml in the tech tree editor by default.

If you'd like to make changes to the master using the editor, you'll have to add the following HIGHLIGHTED lines in the appropriate places.

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If you're confused by this, you probably have no business dicking around in these files in the first place.

I will note however that there MAY be unforseen side effects of editing the master file (unlikely, I'm betting, but just be aware).
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The download and installation was very fast.

I was at work and had my laptop on with the menu screen. I think the picture is a terror star?? Anyway, a coworker (non-gamer) looked over at it and said, "What is that? It looks cool?". So kudos to the art department.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Addendum: My bad, you cannot open the master techtree.xml in the tech tree editor by default.If you'd like to make changes to the master using the editor, you'll have to add the following HIGHLIGHTED lines in the appropriate places.
If you're confused by this, you probably have no business dicking around in these files in the first place.I will note however that there MAY be unforseen side effects of editing
the master file (unlikely, I'm betting, but just be aware).


True... as i have also given this a thought or two.

My intention was to indirectly bring a DA tree into this for temporary edits - and, as the TA_Editor does in fact process strictly compatible sections (by, as you stated, a quick compare with the master_tree) and automatically slaps its default structure to whatever new saved files ensues... it is perfectly normal NOT to be able to alter (adequately, i must say) an 'old' DA tree version with that tool.
The only thing missing would probably be the regular options such as; Copy/Paste/Move type of text manipulations. Essential in fact, while i re-re-think about those. So... SD coders, are you up for this tiny enhancement in future updates?

Bof, it's okay. I may find another simple way, later.

As for the tricky header-footer (which i tried on the DA tree, too! Nope, it failed.) resetting of call-lines for TEMPORARY reasons or to simply inspect the master - it may be risky if one accidently re-saves a flawed version. I'd recommend performing any sort of actions on that specific file by using a backup only; you wouldn't want to be enforced into a fresh re-install of a 350MBS worth download just because some typos creeped in a newly saved reference master making it invalid - somehow.

The trick, i guess -- is to simply be extra-careful when editing that stuff.

Modding steps have just got tremendously easier though. Specially in the case of fresh material by entirely new designers out there. Lucky them - i say.
;)

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i can't see the link, my filter blocks imageshack! trust me, i know how the xmls work! i've been editing most of them since i got DL! ;) could you just write what the extra lines i need and tell me where to put them?

-Dave (sick today)
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
thanks for the tip...now to see if it works ;)

-Dave
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
it is perfectly normal NOT to be able to alter (adequately, i must say) an 'old' DA tree version with that tool.


My intention is to increase the research costs for everything dramatically - I tire of how rapid and obsolete technology is even at Very Slow (current bugs aside).

Doing this for every damn tech tree would be utterly beyond time-consuming (technically speaking... it'd take exactly 14 times longer). Editing the master, where the values for 99% of the techs are held, simply expedites this process.
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Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
nice! it works! thanks, but why does editing it make all the default techs lose their values? that could be a pain if i decide to keep any of them.

-Dave
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
nice! it works! thanks, but why does editing it make all the default techs lose their values? that could be a pain if i decide to keep any of them.-Dave


Can you explain a little more? Not sure I understand. Honestly, I just played with it for a few minutes. I have no intention of going knee-deep in my project until my AEF deployment (better spent time over there).

I'm sure you figured it out, but make sure you also don't accidentally save the 'first' tech, as due to a weird glitch, it thinks the first tech selected when you open it has the second tech in the list as its prerequisite (simply clicking off the tech will fix it).

Also, be sure you back up your tech trees prior to patching, as it'll likely wipe them out. For re-implementation, try a program called CompareIt!. It'll compare the new tech tree and your own side-by-side and let you easily transpose changes back and forth.

EDIT: I figured out what you're talking about. The only solution appears to be to simply comment out the lines in TechTree.xml that we added earlier. (The proper syntax for commenting is to add <!-- and ended by --> Search (Ctrl+F) TechTree.xml for 'Twilight' and you'll see a line that says "New technologies added for twilight". It's commented out properly )

Note that any changes made to TechTree.xml will be preserved. To go back to editing racial tech trees, you just need to remove those four lines from the code.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
why white out the lines that we added? it doesn't change those, it removes all the values from the TA techs, which isn't necessarily the biggest deal in the world for me since i'm working on a TC (the bringers of light)! So if anything would have to be commented out, it would have to be the TA techs.

-Dave
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It doesn't 'remove' them, but by adding those lines, the racial techs can't read the master anymore so the only information they have is that within the racial tech tree. Does this carry over in-game or is it just the fault of the editor?
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i take it that you would have to remove those added lines you showed me in order to use the master tech tree to use the master tech tree as such.

-Dave