Can Galciv be MODed easily?

At the moment the things that can be changed are

1. Technologies.
2. Improvements.
3. Ships.
4. Starbase Modules.
5. Events.
6. United Plant Issues.

Can these be changed easily via simple text files?

I'm especially interested in having a modifiable AI. I know that AI development will continue for some time but we all know that opening up the game AI to the community can only help improve it...?

Sith

All of the above are in simple text files. You will need a little knowledge but they are fairly simple.
The bonus pack will include tools to help with this.

If the AI is modifiable I have not seen the files that control it.

Also modifiable are:

7. Invasion tactics
8. Trade goods,
9. Galactic Wonders (JS, I think you lumped these into improvements, but I think they deserve separate billing, as does:)
10. Galactic Achievements,
11. Political Parties.
12. Diplomacy dialog.

Aye thanks Lucky Jack.
I tend to think of improvments as including the Trade Goods, Galatic Wonders and Galactic Achievments.

Someone mentioned the Bonus Pack (which I think will be included in the box at release right ?) - but will it include a functional editor - as in sperate user interface to modified those elements that can be ? Or will we have to use text editors and do it manually ?

G.

How hard is it to add new ships into the game? Can you add new pictures for the races and the units?

Changing Race pictures is very easy. Adding new ship pictures does not seem so. Apparently the Bonus pack with include a utility that will allow graphical changes to be made to the game.

The AI is hard coded in C++. I expect it to stay that way. You can download some sample moding type files from the Library on the Gal Civ homepage. Simple text files.

To make the games AI, Stardocks unique intellectual property public domain, would be a very bad idea. Business wise that is.

Is the music files in an interchangable format, wma, wav, oog, etc?

MGagne,

I was talking to Cari yesterday and she is working on one of the editors that will assist with the mods. I think the schedule she is working for is to have it ready for the bonus pack, but nothing is certain.

Patrick, I haven't done it but I have seen new ships with pictures added to the game. The bonus pack is supposed to have some new ships and those get added to the game the same way we would.

Some of the testers have been swapping file names to get different music than comes with the game already. I also heard there *might* be some way to select music files from within the game.

Another 11 days and we will know about all of this.

~SDC~

Fantastic. You guys and gals are blowing me away.

~SDC~

'Is the music files in an interchangable format, wma, wav, oog, etc?'

The music is MPEG-based (mostly MP3, although I think I saw a few MP2s in there), as are most of the sound effects.

Hmm, I'm hoping I can build a directory of say classical and past it in when I feel melodramatic. Another version of the directory when I want to Rock out. Anyhow thats the idea. Sounds like I will get my wish. Heck I might even listen to SimCity 4s tunes when I feel methodical. Ooo I just had an idea! I have the soundrack CD from Morrowind, YA that will be good.

Invasion tactics are moddable? Howso?

What format is used for the ships/planet/background/UI pictures/graphics ? Using standard format BMP or JPG files helps MUCH for modding (as in SE4 for example). Using anything else is just closing the door ...

Just like for ships, improvements, anomalies, etc.. The invasion tactics are defined in text files, with pointers to the pictures. The pictures (or icons) must be in one of a couple specific formats.

However, they (Stardock) are working on an editor that should make this all quite easy for us.

~SDC~

So Invasion tactics are images? When I think of invasion tactics, I think of how an AI will attack you....

I don't remember the specific text of the dialog box I remember seeing about invasion tactics, but it was a multiple choice decision something like:

1) This option will destroy much of the resistance allowing you to capture the planet with fewer marines, but will also damage more infrastructure of the planet.

2) This middle option will do some damage to the planet's infrastructure but will require more marines to conquer the planet.

3) This option will not destroy any of the planets infrastructure, but will require a lot of marines to capture the planet.

Something like that but please don't quote me on the specifics. I believe that is what is meant by invasion tactics?

--Soulfire

JavaScout posted a link to his web site which explains invasion tactics much better than my hack job above did! LOL

http://webpages.charter.net/trevorpowdrell/invtactics.htm

To clear it up below is a Invasion Tactic Entry.
The image is just a pcx file.
You can find a complete list of invasion tactics here
http://webpages.charter.net/trevorpowdrell/invtactics.htm

Example.
//------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVTACTIC TidalDisruptors
//------------------------------------------------------------------------

DisplayName "Tidal Disruptors"
Description "By scattering gravity-altering satellites into orbit around inhabited planets, we'll be able to control the oceans and bury our enemy in a watery grave. Monsoons across the globe will greatly decrease enemy defenses, but destroy almost all improvements made in the system."
Tech_Requirement ""
Image "Tactics_Tidal"
Cost 700
LuckFactor 20

PreRequirement 0
PreReqValue 0

BonusType 3
BonusValueMin 40
BonusValueMax 50

PlanetQualityPenaltyMin 0
PlanetQualityPenaltyMax 0

InfluencePenaltyMin 0
InfluencePenaltyMax 0

ImprovementPenaltyMin 80
ImprovementPenaltyMax 100

ENDINVTACTIC

~SDC~

Hey thanks JavaScout!

I forgot about your fan site. That gives me plenty more to read. Book marked it this time.

I hope you're site or GalCiv will provide ability to rate the mods, by the downloaders that it. Most downloaded etc.

Thats pretty neat. Does the AI have access to all of the invasion tactics? If so, how does it deceide which to use, since there can be user-defined ones?

"Thats pretty neat. Does the AI have access to all of the invasion tactics? If so, how does it deceide which to use, since there can be user-defined ones?"

To my understanding a lot of the invasion tactics are made available when you acquire the relevant technologies.

From everything I have read, the AI has access to every strategic option you do and vice versa.

As for how the AI would decide which tactics to use, my guess is that it probably runs "simulations" of each tactic comparing the results, and chooses the most favorable simulated result that it can afford to take? (Just a guess)

--Soulfire

It would be cool if GalCiv was as modable as Civ2 was...

Thats the only reason civ2 was so great.. so much re-playability cause all those player made scenarios via the scenario editor

Can the governments not be edited?