You're back! Greeaaaat !

Thanks a lot for the info, some of it finally makes some sense to me. Hopefully I'll be able to do some hexing my own, now. I think you should submit this to Phill once the article is fully finished, this should defenetly NOT be forgotten.

I finally understand the building strings, I managed to hide and un-hide the trade workshop in the editor. And I'm slowly beginning to understand the unit strings... I also now know why the beta goat can't be unlocked: The initial unit string is missing... Too bad

I have made now a data conversion file that allows you to convert the Age of empires 2: The Conquerors unit data to Age of empires 1 unit data, and Vice versa!

I'm going to post it here now, but if you can't wait, just tell it

You can already open aoe scn's in AoK/tc, rasher unlocked many beta stuff through this some years ago. But converting AoK:TC data to AoE's? That sounds a bit like scn_t_c's trade war modpack. Post some screenies and features, you got me hooked

Scenario_t_c, I see there are some numbers in the for 'editor radius' like your new GeniEd2 for AoK can unlock. Would we be able to use these to make an object 'free' to place in the editor, while being 'solid' in the game? That would save the hassle of uninstalling the overlapping editor to play or test. Also, would the editor radius still make the units like buildings go out of alignment by half a tile?

By the way, great to see you working on some articles, now anyone will be able to do this stuff with enough study.

Technology list (AoE) and Technology Structure uploaded. Buildings Structure updated with missing information.

@RA

Editor Radius, IIRC, is just size of the selection box appeared in the editor.

[This message has been edited by scenario_t_c (edited 02-10-2006 @ 12:15 PM).]

Perhaps it is, but for AOK I have used that value to make units able to be placed in the editor freely as if they have 0 size, yet they still had their normal sizes in the game proper. Oliver made a thread about it.

If that is the case, I must have forgotten something...

The problem is I cannot test in game directly here...

@Phatfish, check your e-mail...

Got it. *worships AW*

scenario_t_c, have you abandonned your projects to make the others Dat files,(nature, new buildings, etc...)????

[This message has been edited by Dark_Avenger (edited 03-09-2006 @ 04:44 PM).]

Not abandonned. However, I must find time for my exams. Except them finished in this summer holiday.

I just now saw this, and this is great.

EDIT: I just gave the Invisible Demon another graphic, now I can easily control it. Doesn't do any damage to other units though, but that can always be changed...

[This message has been edited by Cyrix (edited 03-09-2006 @ 06:28 PM).]

I'm happy to hear that's not cancel. In the meantime, as you seems to be a handful of guyz experimenting on editing, is it possible to create a little overlap DAT file only for snow via discovery (with no flags)??

I don't want you think I'm impatient. You're aware about the time it need to do this. If it takes you 1 hour or 2 to make a overlap Dat file for snow only, then I think it probably worth to do. It can be a priceless contribution for creativity boost in the meantime. Just think to Andrea with his Vikings campaign or me with a Shaman update, and the others who wants to use this too. If it takes you more time than that, then we gonna wait!

See ya!

[This message has been edited by Dark_Avenger (edited 03-09-2006 @ 06:38 PM).]

A discovery without flags would mean a new unit. You would have to include the altered dat with your campaign.

PS: To tell the truth, a scenario file is much shorter than the da file to look in.

[This message has been edited by scenario_t_c (edited 03-09-2006 @ 11:55 PM).]

I guess you mean templates. Well then, If you think to have the time to look at it - can you make these one on different sizes plz.

Not just a template. What I meant was you need to install a new dat in order to get a "discovery without flag", like Trade War for trade cart.

[This message has been edited by scenario_t_c (edited 03-10-2006 @ 07:01 AM).]

What do you mean with resource unit structure?
Civilians?
And do you know a reason why Ore can't be mined?

Quote:

Actually, if I'll make that campaign, I'll likely resort to the traditional Discovery in not accessible places, as I did in the Gupta Dynasty. This because the average user (read = the guy who don't visit this forums) doesn't like to install special files shipped along with an AoE campaign. This includes editel DLL as well as modified DAT or any other kind of mod. Let's face it, AoE is not the best game to make mods for, as a consequence players are not accustomed with them.

Sorry to asked about it. I didn't know that you need Modding to have Discoveries without flags.

I've been playing around with the hex data, but I have come to a stand still over the "float" data type.

Some properties of buildings, units etc specify a "float" data type, but I am unsure of the methods used to convert to and from decimal values.

This bit is quite technical!!!

I know that each "float" data type is 32-bit, and that the standard (set by IEEE) for 32-bit precision works on the following (binary) format:

SEEE EEEE EMMM MMMM MMMM MMMM MMMM

Where Sign = S=0 then positive, or S=1 then negative
Exponent = 2^(decimal value of EEEE EEEE minus 127)
Significand = M.MM MMMM MMMM MMMM MMMM (binary fractions after decimal point)

So, the decimal value would be +/- exponent x significand

The technical bit has ended

I found this website which basically does the above process for hexadecimal floating point to decimal format:

http://babbage.cs.qc.edu/IEEE-754/32bit.html

However, I doesn't look like AOE uses this standard precision method... does anyone have any ideas?

The only alternative is to put a bunch of 'units' in a table and compare certain attributes (maybe hitpoints) to see if I can 'crack' the method.

scenario_tc can you finish the ror editor?

Quote:

It's the same for AoK too...one way we've got around it is to use install scripts to install everything and put things back to normal at the uninstall. It seems that even the average user doesn't mind using this method for using the extra files.

The drawbacks are the additional work for the designer and the curve to create the scripts in the first place.

Quote:

Most users don't really like the hassal of installing scripts/mods that come with a project. People usually don't like "screwing up" the original game settings. That's why it's hardly worth it to create any real good mods for the Age games, since only a small dedicated group of users will eventually try out the changes... too bad .

Hi PhatFish!

I think you misunderstood my comments. Indeed, most users couldn't be bothered with the hassle of backing up files and placing extra files into their proper place. However, using an 'install script' or .exe (executable script) to back-up and install the files for the player and then remove and restore the back-ups when finished takes the hassle out of it for the player.

We tried it for AoK, and it was well received, only the program to create the .exe is expensive, and others that I've looked at were too complicated for me.

The Windows Installer Engine can be manipulated so that you can create mods which allows for:

1. Auto-backup previous files
   
2. Allow rollback (i.e. restore original files)
   
3. Patching (i.e. if you need to make a small change to one component, set it up as a patch so the download file will be far smaller than sending the entire collection of files for the mod)

The problem is, you need to spend quite a bit of time learning and developing your setup.

In reference to the work by scenario_t_c on various structures, I have pretty much mapped all areas of the technology structure (including effects and so on). I started the unit and building mapping but these are massive! There are many duplicates (which I assume are for the various civs or ages). I still cannot find where the resource structure sits in the dat file.

When I am all done I will upload the details.