No Readme for CD == NO JOY. Too many questions

[planetfall]

It is a big pain when there is no readme for PTW or the patch. If Firaxis is running out of time how about a web based readme. The CD is great but what good is all this stuff if it is too hard to figure out how to take advantage of it?

Questions on Day 1 after install:

1. Which ini file to edit to skip startup movie?
Micro readme tells that if I set a variable in the ini file I can start PTW without the startup movie. However, there are a ton of ini files in PTW and we are not told which ini file to modify.

2. ME 266, FW 190, Tiger II, Zero, etc

drool, drool. drool.

The files are there in the extras folder but not listed in units. How do I make these units available in the game?


3. Dinosaur
What is this? Again how get into game?

4. Snoopy
Assume these are enhanced graphics. Again question how to activate/de-activate if don't like them.

5. Scenario or game
What is the difference between a scenario and a game? Isn't a scenario just a saved game but maybe on a custom map?

6, Years per turn
In editor for scenarios you can change the roll of years to a fixed interval instead of using the variable interval in civIII. How can I set a fixed number of years/turn for PTW games?

7. Bic preferences to Bix

I have many preferences I would like to migrate from civ3 to PTW but other than having both editors open at the same time I don't know how to set correct preferences for PTW.

A "solution" given by Mike B. did not work:
1. load old bic file
2. save as new PTW bix file
3. load new bix file.

The problem is that the new PTW units/etc are not carried over. Yes the bic is translated into a bix, but I need new units/civs/options etc.

8. Manhattan
According to Firaxis {don't remember if Jeff or someone else} Manhattan was now a small wonder. However in PTW editor it still seems like a GW with available to all or none. Unless editor and encyopedia have not been updated and just the code has been changed.


Again annoying this information is not provided by Firaxis. Please give us good readme's.

-- PF

[Wise Ass]

Originally posted by planetfall
It is a big pain when there is no readme for PTW or the patch. If Firaxis is running out of time how about a web based readme. The CD is great but what good is all this stuff if it is too hard to figure out how to take advantage of it?

Questions on Day 1 after install:

1. Which ini file to edit to skip startup movie?
Micro readme tells that if I set a variable in the ini file I can start PTW without the startup movie. However, there are a ton of ini files in PTW and we are not told which ini file to modify.

Not sure on this one but you can try changing the name from intro in the movies folder and I don't think it will play then either.

2. ME 266, FW 190, Tiger II, Zero, etc

drool, drool. drool.

The files are there in the extras folder but not listed in units. How do I make these units available in the game?

They are all listed in the editor, I think all you should have to do is give them some prereqs.

3. Dinosaur
What is this? Again how get into game?

Reffer to #2

4. Snoopy
Assume these are enhanced graphics. Again question how to activate/de-activate if don't like them.

Just go to scenarios and load his graphics. If you like to play a certain earthmap, got to the editor load the .bix of what ever graphics mod you like then got to FILE IMPORT then only select the MAP option. After that it should prompt you to load another .bix in which case should allow you to play any map on Snoopys terrain.

5. Scenario or game
What is the difference between a scenario and a game? Isn't a scenario just a saved game but maybe on a custom map?

Yes and no, A scenario is a preset situation created in the editor, normally there has yet to be a turn played. In theory later scenarios will be better with the ability to set diplomacy and trigger events but I think that project just took a backseat to MP.

6, Years per turn
In editor for scenarios you can change the roll of years to a fixed interval instead of using the variable interval in civIII. How can I set a fixed number of years/turn for PTW games?

It should be in the SCENARIO PROPERTIES part of the editor.

7. Bic preferences to Bix

I have many preferences I would like to migrate from civ3 to PTW but other than having both editors open at the same time I don't know how to set correct preferences for PTW.

A "solution" given by Mike B. did not work:
1. load old bic file
2. save as new PTW bix file
3. load new bix file.

The problem is that the new PTW units/etc are not carried over. Yes the bic is translated into a bix, but I need new units/civs/options etc.

This one was a little tricky. What you have to do is load a new .bix and import your preffered .bic mod (or .bix if it was already converted). Use the import feature like I explained earlier. It is actually a good tool.

8. Manhattan
According to Firaxis {don't remember if Jeff or someone else} Manhattan was now a small wonder. However in PTW editor it still seems like a GW with available to all or none. Unless editor and encyopedia have not been updated and just the code has been changed.

This can now be turned into a small wonder however in game it is not. all you have to do is change the flag in the editor from great to small wonder.

Again annoying this information is not provided by Firaxis. Please give us good readme's.

-- PF

Yeah it would have been helpful but I suppose they thought it was self explainitory and if you had questions we would be here to answer them.

By they way there is no bannan option in your poll!

[planetfall]

Thanks.

I didn't think of import instead of open. duh.

No bananas. Well this is either a pineapple plantation or you can't fry bananas without butter.

-- PF

[planetfall]

#1 ini file
File is in PTW directory and is lower case ptw.ini. Setting the variable does bypass the startup movie.

#2 WWII plans
Still not found in units in editor nor was any scenario obvious as containing them.

#3 Dinosaurs
In a scenario.

#4 Snoopy
Also in a scenario.

#5 scenario vs game
answered by wise ass

#6 years per turn
Can change in scenario but not in basic game.

#7 civ3 preferences to PTW preferences
Import did not work either. Painful process of matching civ3 preferences with PTW preferences.

#8 manhattan
Can change to SW. Unclear if will be able to build nukes after build SW. Game play will tell.

-- PF

[Switch]

Regarding the extra units, right now all they're doing is existing. They aren't in the editor, nor in a scenario. You have to add the units first.
And as to the scenario with dinos, it only uses two of them. And it doesn't use the (as yet unnamed) dino pics in units_32.pcx.

#7. Yah, that's really annoying. I was attempting to update Ixnay's Years of Rice and Salt mod to use the new civs and units, but then I realized I'd have to do a LOT of work to do that.

If only there was an option to allow that if the imported mod doesn't replace something in the rules, than that thing stays (ie, import a mod w/ 5 units into one with 25, and only 3 units have the same name, the new mod would have 27 units, with 3 of the original 25 replaced by importing.)

[planetfall]

Originally posted by Switch
.

#7. Yah, that's really annoying. I was attempting to update Ixnay's Years of Rice and Salt mod to use the new civs and units, but then I realized I'd have to do a LOT of work to do that.

If only there was an option to allow that if the imported mod doesn't replace something in the rules, than that thing stays (ie, import a mod w/ 5 units into one with 25, and only 3 units have the same name, the new mod would have 27 units, with 3 of the original 25 replaced by importing.)

The worst part is each new patch has the potential of wiping out preferences.

It should be easy for Firaxis to program.
Just a simple matter of updating matched Name:value pairs.

Read old bi? file
Read new bi? file

if [[ OldName == NewName ]];then
if [[ NewValue != OldValue ]];then
replace NewValue with OldValue
else
skip, use NewValue
fi
else
use NewName and NewValue
fi

-- PF