Page 5 of 65 FirstFirst 1234567891011121314153055 ... LastLast
Results 81 to 100 of 1289

Thread: CA Modding Summit

  1. #81

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by wangrin View Post
    unit evolution system : ETW propose a system to replace units depending of government, such system could be useful, if linked to technology instead of government, to create a reform system that replace old units with new ones. But this means to change things that are hardcoded.
    I could write a script to do most of that in a few hours. Probably not something that needs to be asked, given that they can't, and won't change hardcoded aspects (i.e., the bits we can't script for) of previous games.
    My Tools, Tutorials and Resources

    Was running out of space, so see the full list here!

    Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.- Josh Billings
    The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.- George Orwell

  2. #82
    MathiasOfAthens's Avatar Comes Rei Militaris
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Stockholm, Sverige
    Posts
    22,877

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    The list is merely to select someone willing to speak for the team. Everyone will be included and welcome to go...

  3. #83

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Will you broadcast the summit?

    Would be pretty interesting to see it.

  4. #84
    Huberto's Avatar Praepositus
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,313

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by The Hedge Knight View Post
    Why do you need lists of people anyway? I'm pretty sure any sensible modding summit would be all inclusive...
    Of course it would be all inclusive, but it is also good for the community to organize itself before hand and try to get those who have the deepest understanding of warscape modding there, and have them play somewhat of a leadership role. It is a "summit" after all.

  5. #85

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    I think it goes without saying that DARTH VADER should definitely be in attendance, no matter what.

    And thank's for this Craig, this is a great idea.

    Also, King Kong should be there.
    Last edited by KaiserJoe; June 06, 2012 at 07:57 PM.

  6. #86

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by Huberto View Post
    Of course it would be all inclusive, but it is also good for the community to organize itself before hand and try to get those who have the deepest understanding of warscape modding there, and have them play somewhat of a leadership role. It is a "summit" after all.
    This x 100.

    What CA is planning to do is sort of unexpected, so this is the chance for the community to rise to the challenge. You modder guys should open a thread somewhere to come up with a coordinated list of major issues either by engine or genre.
    Last edited by Radzeer; June 06, 2012 at 10:27 PM.

  7. #87
    Miles
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Denmark
    Posts
    371

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Also any of the best modders we have are in need of financial aid to go, we could set up some kind of money donation page?

  8. #88

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    I doubt that this would be done but... If the old games are in the table would be possible open part of the code of the engine that deal with battle ai and campaing ai with rules like civilization 4 modding .And end with that hardcoded limits like the 20 units .

  9. #89
    Indefinitely Banned
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    The western part of an Island They thought a kind of Coffee...
    Posts
    1,932

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    An Interesting Turn of Event...

    ...wonder what make CA do such thing like this, don't you think, hmm?

  10. #90
    Hazbones's Avatar Senator
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Iwakuni, Japan
    Posts
    1,104

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    I would definitely love to see TAW and all the others currently working on the ETW World project go to this summit along with the creators of the various tools that we already use.

    If these guys had all their questions answered and the full backing of CA, THEY would be the ones to make the tools we would eventually be using, not CA. Craig already said they are just there to help, not do the work for us.

  11. #91
    wangrin's Avatar Unguibus et Rostro
    Patrician Artifex

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    France
    Posts
    4,397

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by T.C. View Post
    I could write a script to do most of that in a few hours. Probably not something that needs to be asked, given that they can't, and won't change hardcoded aspects (i.e., the bits we can't script for) of previous games.
    We have already work on a system based on technology.
    When a certain technology (army reform) is reached, new units become available to recruitment and old ones become unavailable.

    The problem is that replacing old unit with new one need to write in .esf file (replacing the old unit name with the new one).
    I suppose this is how the system work when the game replace monarchy units with republican ones.

    When I ask CraigTW about it, he said that the function was hardcoded in the game engine.

    I mention this simply because we have had the problem and this functionality is the kind of thing that should have not be hardcoded.


    « Le courage, c’est de ne pas subir la loi du mensonge triomphant qui passe, et de ne pas faire écho de notre âme, de notre bouche et de nos mains aux applaudissements imbéciles et aux huées fanatiques.. » Jean JAURES

  12. #92
    Steph's Avatar Maréchal de France
    Patrician Artifex

    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Pont de l'Arn, France
    Posts
    9,174

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    We need to know more about the form the summit will use.
    It can be :

    1) a kind of show from CA where they just explain what they did and why (not very interesting for us, but way for them to releave some pressure and let us know why it's useless to complain or ask for some of our requests)

    2) a place where we just exchange ideas and request, they note them, and we don't really have answers

    3) an occasion to actually meet CA "expert" and get detailed answers

    But I'm afraid if there are too many modders with too many questions, it could get messy and perhaps not very efficient. We may get lost in the questions and not really get answers.

    So perhaps a kind of mix of everything, with some preparation work.

    Every modder, especially if they plan to attend, could prepare a document (Excel, Word, whatever is more convenient for CA), listing all his demands , request, suggestions, questions.

    The document could then be centralized (either by CA, or by the commmunity, I can do that if you want, I did the same some years ago for Civilization III), sorted and organized in big topics.

    If we can get this done by the end of June, CA will have a 2-3 weeks to browse through it, and start preparing answers.

    Then we could have a kind of general welcome speech by CA, and then perhaps instead of a big show with all the questions, followed by everyone at the same time, we could have small "workshops", focused on a specific game or topic.
    CA can send the list of workshops with time schedule and team members, and then each modder can "register" to the workshops he wants to attend.

    At the end of the summit, we can gather the notes from each modder/team member in each workshop and compile them.


    @Craig: if you think I can help with some organization (request gathering and organization), and other modders like the idea, don't hesitate to drop me an email.
    I can be a pain in the most fleshy part of your anatomy with my continous request for a better campaign map, but if I can help, I will.
    Last edited by Steph; June 07, 2012 at 02:40 AM.

  13. #93
    AngryTitusPullo's Avatar Comes Limitis
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Kuala Lumpur
    Posts
    13,018

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    From what I know modders always get invited prior to release of new game and I remembered something like this happened prior to release of Med2 and ETW (IIRC). However this seems much on larger scale than previously.


    CIVITATVS CVM AVGVSTVS XVI, MMVI
    IN PATROCINIVM SVB Dromikaites SVB MareNostrum SVB Quintus Maximus
    Want to know more about Rome II Total Realism ? Follow us on Twitter & Facebook

  14. #94
    carricanta's Avatar Going Nowhere Fast!
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    A Coruña, Galiza
    Posts
    1,428

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by PietroMicca View Post
    Exactly what we should not ask. Too generic, too complicated and too long. We would receive an easily expected answer.
    Why? I wish to have a NTW or ETW moddeable like M2TW...too generic, too complicated an too long? maybe but if people can mod M2TW modders could make the same thing with Empire, isn´t it?

  15. #95
    Steph's Avatar Maréchal de France
    Patrician Artifex

    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Pont de l'Arn, France
    Posts
    9,174

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by carricanta View Post
    Why? I wish to have a NTW or ETW moddeable like M2TW...too generic, too complicated an too long? maybe but if people can mod M2TW modders could make the same thing with Empire, isn´t it?
    No. I have a bike, and a car. I can easily change the chain of my bike. Therefore I want to be able to change the motor of my car as easily... But it's no simple.

    Same thing here. The bike and the car both can be used to go somewhere, but the mechanism is different, and it's not because you can do something with one you can do the same with the others.

    The internal mechanism in ETW is very different from M2TW. And so it's not because you could do something with M2TW that you can do the same with ETW. You can regret that, but it won't change this fact.

  16. #96

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    I am reading all these questions and questions and I get dizzy myself as a modder. I do not think this should be the purpose of this summit. To shoot with countless questions "How do I do this, How do I do that".
    Experienced modders already know the procedures of their specialty and if not, they know how to search the available information in this forum.
    I really do not remember many things if you ask me. Whenever I want to do something for my mod, I search, I test, I try and then I implement. I do not read manuals or foolproof info. True Modders are self taught.
    I believe there is need we modders ask some very vital things, for example we need to know the column names of the db tables or ask CA to open some files for modding, to make their games more customizable.
    In addition, CA could learn things from us modders about how to improve their games. For example I could give some basic advice in some values that are, in my opinion, very wrongly edited in all their games.

    Now, because I have received already PMs asking me to attend, I tell that I would very much like to participate in this summit, but this depends very much on the date it will be set and on the situation in Greece.
    Lets wait for some more official information.

  17. #97
    Steph's Avatar Maréchal de France
    Patrician Artifex

    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Pont de l'Arn, France
    Posts
    9,174

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    We may be all self taught, but we still hit some walls sometimes with things which are apparently not working. Either because it is hardcoded, or because the info is hidden somewhere.

    Getting answers from CA would help.

    It doesn't necesarilly have to be during the summit, but we'd need to reactivate something like the "ask CA" thread where they answered question about the DB.

  18. #98
    carricanta's Avatar Going Nowhere Fast!
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    A Coruña, Galiza
    Posts
    1,428

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by Steph View Post
    No. I have a bike, and a car. I can easily change the chain of my bike. Therefore I want to be able to change the motor of my car as easily... But it's no simple.

    Same thing here. The bike and the car both can be used to go somewhere, but the mechanism is different, and it's not because you can do something with one you can do the same with the others.

    The internal mechanism in ETW is very different from M2TW. And so it's not because you could do something with M2TW that you can do the same with ETW. You can regret that, but it won't change this fact.
    Ok. I understand it... but, Are there tools to make it easy? i suppose it Pietro Micca is a great searcher with the ETW map modding, but i think the things can be easy or difficult if you have or no have the right tools like the last tool for Shogun 2.
    Anyway i am only an ignorant about this bussines and is only my poor oppinion

  19. #99

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    am i the only one wondering why they just dont do this with a video conference via skype that costs zero dollars ? what are you guys thinking, looks to me your stuck in the 80ties where people jumped on planes for 'meetings' :o

    All that wasted money into plane tickets, venue, hotel ... , seriously ... all should be put back into the game and the modders ffs who already spent YEARS working on mods that increased CA sales ...

    and confidentiality is no argument anymore these days, thats what you have an NDA for
    Last edited by Pesticide; June 07, 2012 at 06:49 AM.

  20. #100
    Steph's Avatar Maréchal de France
    Patrician Artifex

    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Pont de l'Arn, France
    Posts
    9,174

    Default Re: CA modding summit

    Quote Originally Posted by carricanta View Post
    Ok. I understand it... but, Are there tools to make it easy? i suppose it Pietro Micca is a great searcher with the ETW map modding, but i think the things can be easy or difficult if you have or no have the right tools like the last tool for Shogun 2.
    Anyway i am only an ignorant about this bussines and is only my poor oppinion
    The main difficulty is not in the tools themselves, it's in understanding what CA did in the format, and what are the interaction between the elements.
    I'll give you an example. Years ago I had to retro engineer a binary files to decode all the information inside.
    To do that, usually you have the end result, with some information, and then you try to find it in the fie.
    For example, if you know the file contains a name, and when you look at the result in your game, you see the name is "Steph", you can try to find in the binary file where "Steph" is located. Then you say "this part is the name". Then, you find other parts, until you can decode the whole file.
    But sometimes it's not obvious. In my case I knew there was a date somewhere. But I couldn't find it in the file.
    After soome times, we finally found the date was coded with two information: The number of seconds since the beginning of the weeks, and the number of weeks since the 6 january 1969 (or something like that).
    Once you know it making a tool that read this two pieces of information and display them as easy to understand date is easy.
    But if you don't know the way it is coded internally, it can be very difficult and time consuming.

    Making a campaign map tools for instance is difficult because we don't really know how CA stores the information internally. If CA can give a description of their format (like the borders are described here, that way, then the rivers are here, etc), with enough details, then I have no doubt we could make a complete tool for it.

    But without info from CA, finding all the informaiton is extremley long. Especially as some information are redundant, or not obvious. If you change a value somewhere (like set the "can convert" flag to true for an agent in the campaign), it won't work. Because a far less obvious value also needs to be changed somewhere else.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •