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Forum » Cossacks I » Modding » Cossacks I to Age of Empires 2 Conversion MOD
Cossacks I to Age of Empires 2 Conversion MOD
Alexandra95Date: Wednesday, 29/May/2013, 1:29 PM | Message # 1
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Hi peoples,

I have decided to make an mod for cossacks I that turns it into age of empires 2.
I got all knowledge on editing the files of both games, but only the AI of Cossacks I is a huge problem. I got zero programming knowledge and tried to learn any language dozens of times but it just doesnt work.
Could it be possible that someone in here would be nice enough helping me build an ai for it? I mainly just want the ai to behave like cossacks so it would be mainly just editing the units names etc.
Further it would be nice to get somesort of empty AI that has no references yet, but as somesort of replacement not to make the game crash, so the opponent wont do anything yet.

I also herd that there were other attempts to add age of empires units to cossacks in the past? please let me know if theres any downloadable work because it would save lots of time.

Thanks in advance alexandra_r@hellokitty.com is my skype, so if you want to add me there to talk about cossacks modding your welcome (email adress cant receive emails, so thats why I published it but also say dont send emails because I cant read them anyways ^^

.
 
ab_99Date: Thursday, 30/May/2013, 6:26 PM | Message # 2
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Quote (Alexandra95)
Hi peoples,

You can use the AI from the Cossacks, to do this, rename units
 
EbelAngelDate: Thursday, 30/May/2013, 9:57 PM | Message # 3
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Right, check here http://cossacksworld.ucoz.co.uk/forum/40-331-1 , there's an Empire's mod by Elvin, which has converted units from Age of
empires.
It's 2 mod files, one is graphics i think, the other MD's, but its for American conquest.
Not sure if you know this but the colour palette files for cossacks and American conquest are different, so if
you'd use these in Cossacks they would look all blury. They would have
to be repacked at least with the proper colour palette files.
The MD's might be usefull aswell for Cossacks I they are very similar for AC. Its
actually unfinished work, not sure there are NDS files yet.

If you'r not sure about the AI one way to circumvent the whole thing is by
just changing the MD name's  the NDS file is calling on in the [MEMBERS]section and the AI does
aswell. But really you'll be very limited, it would be much better to
just learn to complile the .dll's. The source for AI is available. Just
try and see if you can compile them. If that works then you can change
names.

But really get the units for one nation in the game first  then worry about the AI.


 
Alexandra95Date: Friday, 31/May/2013, 11:15 AM | Message # 4
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Yes, but how, sorry but I dont know how to recompile the sources of the ai, and dont know where to look in that huge bunch of files either sad
What would be the easiest way to compile the files (I have zero programming knowledge but can try todo the compilation process). Anyways, I can try to understand the cossacks ai scripts theirselves tho, could I in the worst case post here the edited script files and let someone compile them if it doesnt work here? Thanks in advance
 
ab_99Date: Friday, 31/May/2013, 2:22 PM | Message # 5
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Alexandra95

You have to learn the basics of С++, then be able to make changes to AI.
Here:
http://cossacksworld.ucoz.co.uk/forum/26-457-1
http://cossacksworld.ucoz.co.uk/forum/26-440-1
there were attempts to change the AI, have it inspected by the authors.

Also you can use the AI of the game Cossacks, just replace the image files *. GP.

If you want to understand the purpose of their own files AI, which are laid out on this site, write to me in a personal message your e-mail, I'll send you my comments to the files (comments in Russian), ie you will have to learn the Russian language. :-)
 
Alexandra95Date: Friday, 31/May/2013, 10:28 PM | Message # 6
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I'm afraid that I rly cant compile this thing let alone say I understand cossacks ai, so I decided to keep both cossacks and aoe2 civs together in the game so theres also somesort of competition and a choice to play cossacks, or aoe2 vs cossacks  or just aoe2 with multiplayer where you wont need ai anyways smile
 
ab_99Date: Saturday, 01/June/2013, 8:03 AM | Message # 7
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Alexandra95 
Yes, summer time can be spent more usefully. smile

It is interesting to take a look at your creation
 
Alexandra95Date: Sunday, 02/June/2013, 0:25 AM | Message # 8
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Ive now made a complete todo list of all md names and commented out all unfinished units

Future MDLIST:
VMBAS.MD Villager
TWNCTA1.MD Town Center
HOUSA1.MD House
//MNCMPA1.MD Mining Camp
//MNCMPA2.MD Mining Camp
//MNCMPA3.MD Mining Camp
//MNCMPA4.MD Mining Camp
//LMCMPA1.MD Lumber Camp
//LMCMPA2.MD Lumber Camp
//LMCMPA3.MD Lumber Camp
//LMCMPA4.MD Lumber Camp
//MILLA1.MD Mill
//MILLA2.MD Mill
//MILLA3.MD Mill
//MILLA4.MD Mill
//TWNCTA2.MD Town Center
//TWNCTA3.MD Town Center
//TWNCTA4.MD Town Center
//HOUSA2.MD House
//HOUSA3.MD House
//HOUSA4.MD House
//DOCKA1.MD Dock
//DOCKA2.MD Dock
//DOCKA3.MD Dock
//DOCKA4.MD Dock
//FARM.MD Farm
//WPALI.MD Palisade Wall
//OUTP.MD Outpost
//BRRKSA1.MD Barracks
//BRRKSA2.MD Barracks
//BRRKSA3.MD Barracks
//BRRKSA4.MD Barracks
//FSSHP.MD Fishing Ship
//TBOAT.MD Trade Boat
//MILIT.MD Militia
//SPRMN.MD Spearman

//BLACA2.MD Blacksmith
//BLACA3.MD Blacksmith
//BLACA4.MD Blacksmith
//MRKTA2.MD Market
//MRKTA3.MD Market
//MRKTA4.MD Market
//ARRGRA2.MD Archery Range
//ARRGRA3.MD Archery Range
//ARRGRA4.MD Archery Range
//STBLA2.MD Stables
//STBLA3.MD Stables
//STBLA4.MD Stables
//STNWL.MD Stone Wall
//STGTE.MD Gate
//WTCTW.MD Watch Tower
//TCART.MD Trade Cart
//MANAT.MD Man-at-Arms
//ARCHR.MD Archer
//SKIRM.MD Skirmisher
//SCOUT.MD Scout Cavalry
//GALLY.MD Galley
//TSHIP.MD Transport Ship

//MSTRYA3.MD Monastery
//MSTRYA4.MD Monastery
//UNIVA3.MD University
//UNIVA3.MD University
//SWKSPA3.MD Siege Workshop
//SWKSPA3.MD Siege Workshop
//GTWR.MD Guard Tower
//FTWLL.MD Fortified Wall
//FTGTE.MD Gate
//CSTLE.MD Castle
//LNGSW.MD Longswordsman
//PIKMN.MD Pikeman
//XBOWM.MD Crossbowman
//ESKIR.MD Elite Skirmisher
//CAVAR.MD Cavalry Archer
//KNGHT.MD Knight
//LTCAV.MD Light Cavalry
//BTRAM.MD Battering Ram
//SCORP.MD Scorpion
//MANGN.MD Mangonel
//LNGBW.MD Longbowman
//PETRD.MD Petard
//MONKX.MD Monk
//WGALL.MD War Galley
//FRSHP.MD Fireship
//DSHIP.MD Demolition Ship

//WONDR.MD Wonder
//KEEP.MD Keep
//BTOWR.MD Bombard Tower
//CNGAL.MD Cannon Galeon
//GLEON.MD Galeon
//FFSHP.MD Fast Fireship
//EGLEO.MD Elite Cannon Galeon
//HDSHP.MD Heavy Demolition Ship
//THSWD.MD Two-Handed Swordsman
//CHMPN.MD Champion
//HALBM.MD Halberdier
//ARBAL.MD Arbalest
//HCAVA.MD Heavy Cavalry Archer
//HNDCN.MD Hand Cannoneer
//CAVAL.MD Cavalier
//PALDN.MD Paladin
//HUSSR.MD Hussar
//CPRAM.MD Capped Ram
//SGRAM.MD Siege Ram
//HSCOR.MD Heavy Scorpion
//ONAGR.MD Onager
//SONAG.MD Siege Onager
//BMCAN.MD Bombard Cannon
//ELNGB.MD Elite Longbowman
//TREBU.MD Trebuchet

I will add the misc things like wolves etc and about 150 heroes later when all things are finished
 
EbelAngelDate: Sunday, 02/June/2013, 10:55 AM | Message # 9
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Quote (Alexandra95)
I'm afraid that I rly cant compile this thing let alone
 
It's not hard, it doesnt require programming knowledge.
It goes like this:
Get Microsoft Visual C++ 6.00 and the Ai source pack here on the site.
 ( http://cossacksworld.ucoz.co.uk/load....1-0-112 )

Code
Microsoft Visual C++ 6.00

File - OpenWorkSpace: AI_0995\AI\Ai.dsw

Right click in the Fileview on Austria.cpp - Settings: Tab: Link and check that the output is Ai\Austria.dll ( should be set by default)

Right click again on Austria.cpp and select 'Build Only'. It should compile the .dll and the build window should tell you:  
"Linking...
    Creating library Release/Austria.lib and object Release/Austria.exp

Austria.dll - 0 error(s), 12 warning(s)
"
It may spam some warnings which on average can be ignored, as long as it doesnt generate errors, you should have compile the .dll.

If you cant find your .dll file back, go to settings link tab again and specify a folder you can easily find. Like " C:\Users\User\Desktop\CI BTW AI Source\ " would put it right on your desktop. (Where user is your computer username obviously), Or keep it really simple and write " C:\AI\ "


Once this works then you can mess around with the ai files yourself, any errors that occur afterwards during compiling are mostlikely your own.


 
Alexandra95Date: Sunday, 02/June/2013, 11:59 PM | Message # 10
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I now got Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Standard Edition
Hopefully it is the same, I think it is, so after the installation finished ill try follow the steps you explained, this might be a handy way to learn c++ by not really doing c++ code itself but a script in c++ that a program must understamd, maybe finally the light goes on in my head lol
edit: thanks angel
Now I can compile the ai dlls, but need to understand the structure first, I might try to make a empty ai and slowly add things to see how they work out lol

Added (02/June/2013, 11:59 PM)
---------------------------------------------
Due to several advantages of american conquest over cossacks, I decided to upgrade my work to american conquest 1. Im happy that I didnt do alot
in cossacks yet and the file formats are very similar so im lucky todo
just some copy/paste work and start editing american conquest.
Here's my list of advantages and disadvantages, american conquest had to win smile

Advantages:
> Support for terrain textures, better arrows, linking technologies instantly, garrisoned units can fire from a building, supports custom bitmaps in editor, animals and some other aoe2 features plus I have now a aoe2 mod attempt smile
Doubt:
> Editing the ai and/or game exe, someone claims that the source was released but I doubt ill ever get my hands on the ai's source code
Disadvantages:
> AI is less fun and more complicated and cannot be edited unlike cossacks, some work has to be done again, need to update my knowledge on the ac engine

Message edited by Alexandra95 - Sunday, 02/June/2013, 11:47 AM
 
Forum » Cossacks I » Modding » Cossacks I to Age of Empires 2 Conversion MOD
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