OK, guys, as long as OSC doesn't kill me, I'm sure many of you are also fans of Civilization. Civilization IV, with the use of Python & XML is unbelievably open to alteration.
As a result, I've been working on the a pair of Mods based around Ender's Shadow & Ender's Game series.
(I may later work on a mod based on other series, but we'll see)
Any thoughts anyone has as to things they "MUST" see?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I'll help as soon as a crack for civ 4 comes out, since i'm in the process of downloading it it should be done by the time i go home.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
That's great...just openly admit under your real name that you are pirating it. Sid would be proud.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Blayne, why not actually pay for the game?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:That's great...just openly admit under your real name that you are pirating it.
Hey, at least he isn't admitting it under his last username.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
That would have been hilarious. Just think of the look on Sid's face when the cops show up...
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
cuz I got fired from my last job for talking too much, if I had a job and an income I would buy it.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I think the problem you want to correct is the talking too much, not the lack of income.
Posted by R. Ann Dryden (Member # 8186) on :
Maybe you should spend your time job hunting instead of illegally downloading games.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: if I had a job and an income I would buy it
While I sympathize with you, it seems to me that the more responsible thing to do -- if you really want to play this game -- is to obtain an income and then buy it.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I'm working on that, I might sign up to join the reserves which is about 75$ a day and will allow me to remove my beer belly.
Posted by Goo Boy (Member # 7752) on :
Don't worry. When the workers take over, everyone will get free games.
Of course, once the greedy game development companies are siezed and the lead programmers imprisoned, there won't be any new ones . . . but at least the old ones will belong to all! Posted by Avatar300 (Member # 5108) on :
Hooray!
"Let a Hundred Game Developers Bloom, let a hundred derivative strategy games contend"
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
I don't pay for software because I have no money.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
That's fine, Jon, as long as you don't USE software. Games are not exactly essential items like bread or clothing; you can live without them if you can't afford them.
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
That's why I rarely play games; those I do play are in 99% legal.
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
Or legal ones I bought and burned as a copy...
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
I admit, I do that. I buy a game, copy it, and use only the copy. I've had my five year old destroy too many originals in the past.. that's self preservation
But still, I paid for the game originally and I don't distribute it out
That having been said, Sunday night I should post up the "Free People of Earth" Civ Mod. I'm changing the chinese, indian, russian, english, australian, leadership.. adding a south American leadership, etc.
So, if you have a great desire to play as Dink, Vlad, Hot Soup, etc
I'm working on combat units, my list of "Great People" which will mostly stay the same as the current version of Civ.
I'm trying to work out great wonder changes. Anyway, it's good that it can be so easily customized Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
... are all of you making fun of me? Hardly mature.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
We're not making fun of you. We're pointing out, correctly, that pirating games is serious. If you can't afford to buy them, get a job.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
points
quote:I might sign up to join the reserves
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Till you do, perhaps you could cut back on non-essentials?
I'm just saying the problem is no money == no games.
The solution isn't to steal the game, it's to get the money.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
I'm going to steal an unnecessary luxury because I got fired from my job for screwing up, and you jerks are making fun of me.
Wah!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:I admit, I do that. I buy a game, copy it, and use only the copy.
But that's perfectly legal, isn't it? As long as you aren't installing the software on multiple machines, there's no problem with this at all, is there?
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
Another thing that I'm pointing out is that posting online under your real name that you are pirating is not wise. I googled your name and came up with a couple posts of yours from Hatrack, as well as your interests in asian women and Everquest. Things stay online for a long, long time, and sometimes they get cached by enterprising search engines. That's the sort of thing that can be used as evidence. Look, it's a long shot, but it's wise to cover your trail. These things can haunt you for a long, long time.
I really, really, really didn't want to know about the beer belly. And as a former Marine, I'm less than impressed that you're thinking about joining the Reserves so that you can have money so that you don't have to steal. Same thing I tell my sister...go work at McDonalds or something. Jobs aren't that hard to come by. Even in Quebec, eh? On the plus side, Marx would be proud of you.
It's not that I'm making fun of you, I'm just recommending that you share a little less for your own protection.
Posted by RynoW1 (Member # 8365) on :
quote:Originally posted by tmservo: I admit, I do that. I buy a game, copy it, and use only the copy. I've had my five year old destroy too many originals in the past.. that's self preservation
But still, I paid for the game originally and I don't distribute it out
That having been said, Sunday night I should post up the "Free People of Earth" Civ Mod. I'm changing the chinese, indian, russian, english, australian, leadership.. adding a south American leadership, etc.
So, if you have a great desire to play as Dink, Vlad, Hot Soup, etc
I'm working on combat units, my list of "Great People" which will mostly stay the same as the current version of Civ.
I'm trying to work out great wonder changes. Anyway, it's good that it can be so easily customized
I just bought Civ IV and am anxiously awaiting this mod!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Try your best as well to get a world map that accurately dipicts the world.
But ya think about it, if I did have the money I would've bought the game and when I do get the money I will buy the game.
Downloading a copy of the game when I don't have the money to buy it doesn't make firxis lose money.
Just as with ym books I download them first sometimes if I really cant wait for a softcover and when it does coem out I buy it anyways.
As with Thousand Orcs and Two Swords by RA Salvatore.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Noemon, Burning a copy of a game for your personal use and storing the original is almost exactly the case Fair Use is intended to cover. That's perfectly all right.
Blayne, It's stealing. No amount of rationalizing on your part changes that.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
quote:And as a former Marine, . . .
You've almost convinced me you were never a Marine.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
quote:Originally posted by Icarus:
quote:And as a former Marine, . . .
You've almost convinced me you were never a Marine.
Yes, once a Marine, always a Marine...but the wife teases me when I get all motivated so I'm trying to be humble. Anyway, I think there is a distinction to be made between the guys who went to Iraq and people like myself who got out before this started.
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
Hoo-rah. Blayne- don't join the reserves. please
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
As for close to the real world, yes, I'm making the globe basically the land mass correct version.
This will be confusing to some, as we often see globes that are not very land-mass correct. But it will be correct as correct as can be managed within the game by keeping land mass within similar proportions (within the constraints of the game)
Actually, right now, my issues are mostly with developing wonders linked to this mod, and dialog for the heads of state (the heads of state will remain the same from the books "Shadow Puppets" and "Shadow of the Giant").
I have, in the spirit of the books, removed the nuclear weapons, as there will be no nuclear war; however, in one of my maps (there will be two map options: a full campaign and a short campaign) in the short campaign, it is already assumed that Mecca is a nuclear fallout site.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Okay, tern. Just checking. Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
"Hoo-rah. Blayne- don't join the reserves. please"
Its 75$ an hour, they pay up to 50% of my schooling and I can quit at any time and unless its WWIII they won't cart me off to Iraq or Afghanistan.
And I get to drive APC's and Jeeps.
As for the beer belly reference I'm not actually fat I just want to get into shape.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
I don't wish to be offensive, Blayne, and I realize that the reserves, especially in Canada, aren't the Marines, but I'd second the please don't join the reserves, unless you get a serious attitude readjustment. You are a nice guy, but you have an attitude of entitlement that won't go well with the military.
*assumes boring lecturey pose*
The military is serious business. In peacetime, it's people practicing to kill other people, and in wartime, it's people killing other people. That's what it is, at the core. Like we said when I was in, the military exists for only two reasons - break things and kill people. Unsat individuals drag down the readiness level of the unit, and in wartime that can have fatal consequences for your fellow soldiers. It isn't Club Med.
The military is about teamwork, not about individuals. Despite our Army's pretty little recruiting slogan, there is no such thing as an army of one.
Driving military vehicles gets old really fast...there are no words to express how boring driving a Hummer in a convoy, but I was falling sleep while driving in the winter with the window down and an officer as my A-driver.
On the plus side, some people find the military to be a maturing experience, and perhaps when you go through Boot Camp you will end up squared away. But if you don't get with the program, the military can make your life very difficult.
But you'll especially want to keep the confessions of petty theft to yourself if you do join, because otherwise if anything goes missing (which happens all the time) they will look at you. That's not fun.
So if you aren't willing to make the commitment, don't join. There are easier ways to make money. Far easier. And trust me, they'll work you hard for your $75. I calculated what I was making per hour and it was just a little over $3.
You could always sell Pampered Chef...
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
Also, you should consider looking into the many free games that are available online. They don't usually have the same level of polish as retail games, but they are quite fun.
In addition, check out home of the underdogs. They have a great collection of older games that are still quite fun.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I went from freeware to freeware and they weren't very satistfying. As it is I may not even get through the fitness test and if it doesn't work I hand out my resume to a few more people.
If it does work out I'll get employment for a year or two.
But I have confidence, one of my best friend's Aaron is the closest thing to a buddist monk you could see in a person and he joined the reserves to get into better shape, and its doing fine for him.
But ya I can quit anytime and killing people fortuneatly (unfortunatly?) doesn't bother me.
I geuss I play to many FPS...
ps: I think my parents not even let me join the first reaction of my mom was: "no"
and I say "why not?"
and she goes "because I love you"
*shrugg* she says she'll discuss it with my dad.
What does "Unsat individuals" mean???
[ October 28, 2005, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by RynoW1 (Member # 8365) on :
Is this what they call a hijacked thread? Can someone start another thread with a discussion about this. Or Tom Servo start a new thread with this mod info?
I don't mean to be a jerk but I think people will come here interested in the topic that started the thread not where its gone. :-)
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
There is nothing wrong (in general) with a hijacked thread. (Admittedly, some hijackings take directions that turn out to be unfortunate.)
A thread is a conversation, not a static document. Like a conversation, it goes in whatever direction the participants will it to. If you are interested in taking it in another direction, simply redirect (without lecturing those posting in the thread). If anybody wants to have the conversation you want to have, your redirect will stick. If it doesn't, then it wasn't to be.
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
I'll remake this thread with an "announcement" "release" thread, probably on Sunday night.
Right now, I'm still tweaking units, trying to add and play off units within the shadow series. This is really not that many modifications (though attack helicopters/jetcopters are added).
Outside of the openly obvious (China, India, Islam, FPE, Russia, Australia, England) does anyone else have candidates that they want?
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
"unsat individual"=unsatisfactory individual. not a compliment. are you really from Quebec? i understand the canadian military is only around 55k, so they must be relatively selective. hint hint.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
Thailand. What would Suriya do, otherwise?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I've been kicking around the idea of creading a 1632 mod (ie a mod based on the concept in Eric Flint's 1632, in which a single town of about 3,500 or so is tossed through time and space to Thuringia during the middle of the hundred year war), once I get my hands on the game (which means once I have upgraded my computer to the point where it would be worth my while to bother buying it). I'm not entirely sure whether it would be fun or not, and don't know off the top of my head whether it will be possible to tweak the game in such a way that it's possible to manufacture units that are more primitive than those allowed by your current technological level, but it'll be fun to find out.
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
I think I'll end up creating Thailand. What is a real hinderance (and where I would love to at least get an OSC "go for it") is that I'm going to be stuffing dialogue into these people's mouths when they talk.
I have a good "feel" for how I think, say, Peter and a few others would interact. But I'm struggling for how I would play dialogue for Suriya.
I'll say this.. because of the way the books are written, Verlomi is by far the easiest character to write for. Her monologues within the books provide just the "write" (pun) tone and give a very good idea of how she should be presented.
[ October 29, 2005, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: tmservo ]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
You know, there are quiet a few periods of Thai history that would lend themselves nicely to a Civ scenario. Hmmm...
Of course, until I actually get the game this is entirely academic.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
If you want, you could send your dialogue for Suriya to me and I could Thai-ize it, Thailand is where I served my mission. I don't know just how accurate to Suriya I would be, but I'm sure I could get close.
And yeah, something like the period after the sack of Ayuthaya would be a great scenario.
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
That sounds good. Really, anyone who wants to help me on dialogue, that's going to be a tricky part. There are certain things you have to fulfill in civ (happy with offer/unhappy with offer/pleased with neighbor/unhappy with neighbor at peace/at war etc.) and those are the dialogue exchanges I'm going to have to work on. I've been really working on getting the game balance issues worked out the way I want primarily to function within the world of Civ as Ender's Shadow series.
I will pretty much skip "ancient" era as the game plays it (so no need to develop, say, the wheel).
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Tern, where in Thailand were you?
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
I spent a year in Krung Thep (Bangkhen, Thonburi, and Din Daeng), and the rest out in the Isaan. Good times...
I'm taking it you were in Thailand as well, whereabouts?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I was in Chiang Mai, for the most part. I wasn't there for very long, only about three months, and it was ages ago. Absolutely fell in love with the country though.
How long ago were you there? How fluent are you in Thai?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I wonder how fun Thailand will be in the Hoi2 Modern day mod... interesting...
And yes I am from quebec, but I don't know hardly any french. And the reserves it doesn't matter so it's all good. Like by not speaking french... say 99% of jobs are kaput.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I take it public school is taught in English then? Do they have French (as a second language) classes in grade school, or does a high enough percentage of the population speak French in the home that such classes wouldn't be needed by the vast bulk of kids*?
[Edit--*and so not be worth the money it would cost the state to provide them]
[ October 29, 2005, 12:09 PM: Message edited by: Noemon ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
private schools are usually split 50/50 in english and french, public schools are generally all english until grade 4 (Primary 4) then they start doing french immersion as in french as a second language.
However our public school system has never been good and I slept through those classes (back when I didn't even know why I was even there for) and they pass me anyways. Almost screwing me over in my graduation exams in grade 10-11.
Now I'm in french lvl 1 in CEGEP (college) so its all good but I still can't get most "QD" jobs.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
How much is English used in daily life? I mean, obviously you're able to get by in English, but if you were to decide to only communicate in French as a way of truly immersing yourself in the language, that would be possible wouldn't it? If so you might want to consider doing that. It's a pretty effective way to learn a language.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
I was there seven years ago. I'm still fluent in Thai, I can read, understand and write it, but I'm not as clear as I used to be. I can't spell it well, either...but I never could. Fortunately, doing dialogue for Suriya isn't going to require that I write in Thai. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Hey, that's when I was there too! Of course, I wasn't there nearly as long as you were, which is officially my excuse for not having nearly the grasp of the language that you do. I've recently picked back up with studying the language, so maybe in a few years I'll be up to speed. Well, assuming that I can keep myself at it.
The spelling does seem nearly arbitrary, doesn't it?
So what dialects do you speak?
Also, I was recently read a passing comment about there being a 6th tone that is actually used in everyday speech. What little Thai I've got is the sanitized central dialect stuff they teach in A.U.A. classes and the like, so this was news to me. How would you describe that 6th tone? Or was the person writing the comment I read smoking something?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
i speak english 99.999% of the time. The only time I speak french is in french class.
I don't know enough french to have a passing conversation, also my hearing is off and I can't usually understand the accent.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
I speak the Bangkok dialect and the Isaan dialect, and I can usually understand Lao. There is no sixth tone, at least in my experience. Perhaps what they are referring to is the looseness of tones in Isaan, but even then they stick to the five tones.
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
I'm wondering if this is something I could contribute to Intergalactic Medicine Show..
Posted by RynoW1 (Member # 8365) on :
quote:Originally posted by tmservo: I'm wondering if this is something I could contribute to Intergalactic Medicine Show..
I think thats a great idea. I dont know about copyright stuff with Civ though.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
quote:Originally posted by RynoW1:
quote:Originally posted by tmservo: I'm wondering if this is something I could contribute to Intergalactic Medicine Show..
I think thats a great idea. I dont know about copyright stuff with Civ though.
If I had to guess, I'd sayd probably not. I would assume that it couldn't be put in the pay section, and even posting it for free would probably be iffy.
Hatrack, on the other hand, is much less commercial. Maybe you could try at least getting it linked on here somewhere.
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
Hmm. I'm really unsure. Considering Firaxis & 2K Games have provided everyone with the tools to make the modifications, and have encouraged all of us to make add-ons to their game by providing us modification manuals, etc.
I just say this because they have setup areas of their own web, etc. to encourage outside development, and offered out the development kits to all users, including several who do charge (I will not submit mine as a per-pay mod) but I am aware of many who have put together teams and will pay their developers and charge for their modifications.
Since Firaxis knows this, and is willing to provide links on their website to all of those developing modifications ( http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/modcentral.htm ) I'm unsure how they could go back and claim misuse. The biggest fear I have of misuse issues is related to whether or not OSC comes down and puts a stomp on using his characters Posted by RynoW1 (Member # 8365) on :
I just posted this question over on the culture side of hatrack.
Any help would be great.
Posted by RynoW1 (Member # 8365) on :
Any updates on this mod Tomservo?
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
It's done. I have someone testing it for playability right now.
The mod includes 4 scenarios. It also includes a change of music, new weaponry, and new Heros. The Civolopedia has been altered for each scenario.
Once we get the gameplay balanced (which is the hardest part, I'm finding out) I will upload it But I've had about 3-4 other people really helping.. though if anyone has any graphic savvy and would like to make some drawings, let me know Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I'ld like to help betatest...
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
That would be with the legal copy you purchased, right?
Posted by archon (Member # 8008) on :
tern, don't push him. He doesn't have problems killing people because he plays FPS games.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Which a Winchester no less... so where do you live/work/hang out again? Any places with nearby high buildings?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Blayne, even in jest it is a really, really bad idea to threaten someone's life on this forum.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Then he shouldn't have acted like an a$$ and deliberately mocked me. He made a stupid comment and so I'm informing him of his mistake, that its not a good idea to insult someone who you do not know and underestimate his/her resourcefulness and determination.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Is a modification like this similar to fanfiction? Be cause OSC has made his position on that pretty clear (i.e., he has to pursue it as illegal, otherwise he loses copyright).
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
quote:Then he shouldn't have acted like an a$$ and deliberately mocked me. He made a stupid comment and so I'm informing him of his mistake, that its not a good idea to insult someone who you do not know and underestimate his/her resourcefulness and determination.
I'm trying to think of some way to respond to this with a straight face and failing miserably...
Posted by RynoW1 (Member # 8365) on :
quote:Originally posted by tern:
quote:Then he shouldn't have acted like an a$$ and deliberately mocked me. He made a stupid comment and so I'm informing him of his mistake, that its not a good idea to insult someone who you do not know and underestimate his/her resourcefulness and determination.
I'm trying to think of some way to respond to this with a straight face and failing miserably...
This is why I have not responded to his comment. It took me back to Jr. High. Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
o.. m... g...
I give up.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
You mean you give up pirating games?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I'm not answering.
Posted by Joshua Newberry (Member # 7864) on :
But...Saying you aren't answering is itself an answer and..OMG HEAD EXPLODE
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
But I've had about 3-4 other people really helping.. though if anyone has any graphic savvy and would like to make some drawings, let me know ![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
This is why I have not responded to his comment. It took me back to Jr. High.