Pink Dot IT Office - Email and technical issues thread - All welcome, all the time

[dsplaisted]

There is a program to edit save settings but it only works for Vanilla and Warlords. They changed the save format for BtS and no one updated that little utility.

Is it just a matter of looking at the SDK to see how the save format changed? Or is saving the game handled outside of the SDK? Also, where is this program to edit the saves, and is the source available?

[Ruff_Hi]

save convert - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=167669

[shadyforce]

I wouldn't object too much if the game were abandoned either. I was enjoying it but it did take on a weird shape and since most people didn't expect or want that kind of game, I guess lessons can be learned for future pitboss games. But I'll continue if everyone else is.

[dsplaisted]

save convert - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=167669

Unfortunately the download is just an EXE and it doesn't look like there's source code available anywhere.

[dsplaisted]

Looking at the SDK, it looks like we might be able to make a mod that would just change the "Allow player to take over AI" setting.

I think the mod would just need to call CVGame::setMPOption(MPOPTION_TAKEOVER_AI, true). We could probably just have it do this after the game is loaded or something. Then we just need to temporarily replace CvGameCore.dll on the pitboss, have it load and resave the game, and the option should be changed.

The SDK is a VS2005 project, does anyone have it installed, or know if it's OK to build it under VS2008?

[T-hawk]

Hey, great idea dsplaisted. I've got VS 2005 and I've successfully compiled the DLL before. I'm away from my Civ computer till Tuesday so I couldn't test it myself, but VS is here on my laptop.

So is the SDK source available for patch 3.19? Can somebody point me to it? And from where would we call that CVGame::setMPOption ?

[Broker33]

Wow that is looking like good news. Should we reload to the turn before since Zpv missed that one also? Since it looks like it will require a reload anyway I thought I would toss that out.

[dsplaisted]

Hey, great idea dsplaisted. I've got VS 2005 and I've successfully compiled the DLL before. I'm away from my Civ computer till Tuesday so I couldn't test it myself, but VS is here on my laptop.

So is the SDK source available for patch 3.19? Can somebody point me to it? And from where would we call that CVGame::setMPOption ?

The SDK source is installed as part of the patch, it should be in Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Beyond the Sword\CvGameCoreDLL. It is a bit over 6MB zipped, is there a good site for me to upload it to?

I'm not sure exactly where to call setMPOption from, probably either just after loading or just before saving would work fine. I think I saw a hook in there that would be called before the game was saved. If you need me to try to find exactly where to put it let me know and I'll give it a go.

[Iamjohn]

I can attach a zip version if it's okay.

[T-hawk]

dsplaisted, if you can narrow down exactly where to insert that line, it would help. Actually Monday night I'll be back at my Civ computer and I can try it then; the SDK source should be there.